Rewriting History
by brittanablog
Summary: Waverly Earp and Officer Nicole Haught become fast friends (and more?), in spite of themselves. Slow burn. The characters and their world are the same Purgatory you all know and love... I'm just reimagining their story. Come along for the ride.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is the first thing I've written in _years_ , but these two are just absolutely going to be the death of me! Rated T for now, may change in the future. I'm not sure how frequently I'll update, but I'm sure there will be at least 3-4 more chapters. Enjoy!  
_

Realizing it was already 4:02, Waverly tugged a Shorty's long sleeve v-neck over her tank top, slipped into a pair of boots, grabbed Champ's keys off the kitchen counter, and was out the door. Mumbling to herself as she skipped down the dusty path to the old pick-up truck, she knew Gus was going to berate her for being late. At least Champ had dropped off his truck that morning for her on his way out of town. If she had to walk, it would take her at least half an hour. She climbed into the cab, jammed the keys in the ignition, and the truck roared to life. She pulled out of the homestead and flipped on the radio, instantly singing along.

"You don't gotta go to work, work, work, work…"

"Geez, I wish I didn't have to go to work!" she said out loud to no one. She kept singing along, barreling down the empty road that stretches the two miles between the Earp home and Shorty's.

All of a sudden, the truck slowed, and started chugging. Waverly was brought out of her Fifth Harmony-induced daze, her eyes grew big as she stared at the steering wheel and then the dash, pressing the gas harder and harder, willing the old truck to keep moving. It was then that the big red "E" on the left of the dash jumped out at her, and the truck chugged to a dead stop.

"Fucking CHAMP!" she yelled to herself. "That asshole left me a car without enough gas to even make it to the closest gas station!" She groaned loudly and dramatically rested her forehead on the steering wheel. After about thirty seconds of moping, Waverly pulled out her cell phone and called the bar.

"Shorty's! What can I do ya for?"

Waverly internally smiled briefly at Gus's warm voice and familiar greeting. "It's me, Wave. Listen, I am so so so sorry, but I'm going to be late…" she glanced at the clock, now reading 4:13, "well, obviously. You can tell time. Champ left me a truck with no gas, so I'm about a mile away and now on foot. I'll make it up to you by closing solo!" she pleaded, with the most sincere tone to her voice.

Gus sighed audibly into the phone. "It's okay, Wave. But you should have known to check the gas gauge. How many times has Champ run out of gas himself? What, four times? This year?"

They both chuckled lightly, "You're right, Gus. I should have known."

"Okay, well get here as soon as you can, we are pretty swamped."

"Will do. Thank you, and I'm so sorry again!"

They disconnected, and Waverly exhaled deeply. Grabbing her apron from the passenger's seat, and stuffing it in her handbag with her phone charger and keys, she climbed down from the truck and started her walk in.

As Gus hung up the phone, shaking her head, a voice from behind her caught her attention.

"I'm sorry to be so nosey, but was that Waverly? Did I hear she ran out of gas?"

Gus turned and faced the red-haired Sheriff's Deputy, smiling and chuckling to herself.

"She sure did. Her no-good boyfriend left her a truck on E, and so she's walking the last mile. She should be here in about 15-20 minutes."

"Oh. Well, you know, I could go get her? I mean, it is starting to get dark out early this time of year. It's not entirely safe to be walking?" She asked as if it was a question, but she was already reaching for her Stetson and digging her keys out of her pocket.

"Well it doesn't look like you need any convincing, Officer Haught. She should be about a mile down the road, to the east."

"Got it. We'll be back in no time!" She gave Gus one firm nod and turned on the heel of her boots, out to her patrol car.

She didn't need directions from Gus. Despite hardly knowing the girl, she knew exactly where Waverly was coming from and where she lived. Not that she was a creepy stalker or anything—it's just that everyone in Purgatory knew where the Earp Homestead was. It was somewhat of a local landmark.

Sure enough, as the officer made it around a particularly sharp curve in the road, she caught sight of Waverly walking down the opposite side of the dirt road, about 200 yards ahead of her. If she was aware of the involuntary grin that spread across her face at the sight of the girl, she didn't care.

She eased to a stop as she reached Waverly, rolling down her window and squinting slightly at the setting sun as she shifted her head out the window with a smile. "Heard you might need a lift?"

Waverly let out a low laugh and tilted her head, mirroring the other girl's smile. "It appears as if you heard correctly, Officer." Waverly held her hands out, palms up and spun around slightly, jokingly showing that she has no car with her.

"Well you are a pedestrian no, more, Miss Waverly. Hop on in. I won't even make you sit in the back, where my usual passengers go."

Waverly laughed again as she rounded the front of the car, plopping into the passenger's seat and pulling the door shut behind her. She accidentally slammed it, and they both jumped slightly, startled by the loud noise. Waverly, in all her grace, bumped the travel coffee mug that was in the center console, tipping it over and spilling what was leftover onto the other girl's right pant leg.

"Oh my god! I am so so so sorry! Oh gosh, I am such a klutz." Waverly frantically started digging in her handbag, looking for napkins or something to help clean up the mess, all the while mumbling to herself about how careless she is. Finally, she pulled out a few cocktail napkins and reached over and started patting the khaki thigh dry, over and over again repeating, "I'm so so sorry, god I'm an idiot."

Waverly was only able to berate herself for a few seconds before warm hands closed over hers on the other girl's lap.

"Waverly," she chuckled, "Waverly stop. It's really okay, I promise!" Waverly looked up and finally noticed the big, dimpled smile shining back at her.

"Oh gosh, I am really so sorry, Officer Haught. I'll pay to have them dry-cleaned, and I…"

"Nicole."

Waverly stopped and stared, confused.

"My first name. It's Nicole. You don't have to call me 'Officer Haught' all the time." She smiled warmly.

"Oh," Waverly said. "Nicole? Okay, well Nicole, I'll get the dry-cleaned for you, I promise!"

"It's really not necessary. The Department launders our uniforms weekly. I drop off tomorrow, anyways. No worries at all, it's really fine."

Waverly nodded, and then realized that they were still, essentially, holding hands on Nicole's lap. Sheepishly, she withdrew her hands, leaving the cocktail napkins for Nicole to pat herself a little drier. After a few seconds, Nicole picked one up, uncrumpled it, and read off the number written on the back.

"Tyler. 432-555-6719. Call me, sweet cheeks." Nicole couldn't help the eyeroll. "How charming. Here," she handed it back to Waverly, who looked at her like she had three heads.

"I don't want that," Waverly said, matter-of-factly.

"You don't?" Nicole asked.

"No! Of course not," Waverly was incredulous.

Nicole felt a little flutter in her stomach, but that was short-lived when Waverly followed up her declaration with the simple, "I have a boyfriend already."

"Oh. That's right. He's the one who left you the bum truck, right?"

Nicole shifted the car into reverse to turn around and head back towards Shorty's. Habitually, she reached her hand over to the passenger's seat, placing it just above Waverly's shoulder as she turned around to look behind her while she reversed.

Waverly nodded, "Yep. That's the one…" Facing her, Nicole could see the way Waverly's shoulders sagged, and the corners of her eyes dimmed.

"Hey," Nicole said, intentionally letting her hand slip from the seat to Waverly's left shoulder, "After I drop you off, I could run to the gas station and get a gas can and come back and…"

"Oh, Offic—Nicole, you are too sweet, but you really don't have to do that. You've already done more than enough. I can't believe you came to get me. How did you even know?" Waverly laughed again and pointed at Nicole's leg, "You're already regretting coming to get me… "

Waverly met Nicole's eyes and smiled wide, fully back to the bright, bubbly girl she was when Nicole first pulled over.

"Besides," Waverly continued, "I am going to have a real good time telling Champ he gets to walk to the gas station and walk back to fill up his car. Let me make him do it." She smiled again.

"Well, I really wouldn't mind, Wave, but if you insist!" Nicole returned a truly bright smile. She slipped her hand off Waverly's shoulder and onto the gear and shifted into drive. A few seconds down the road, she glanced at Waverly, who was staring out the window. "I overheard you talking to Gus, by the way." Waverly leaned her head against the window, but turned it slightly so she could look at Nicole. "That's how I knew… since you asked."

Waverly nodded, "I assumed as much. But I meant what I said, I'm sorry I spilled. No good deed, I guess. You'll think twice about being so nice next time, I'm sure."

Nicole looked fully over to Waverly, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I could never turn down the chance to save a damsel in distress," she said, purposely being cheesy and dramatic, "… especially such a pretty one," she said, in a slightly more serious tone.

Waverly blushed and dipped her head, chin meeting chest. She felt a warmth fill her chest and her lungs, and a lightness that she hadn't felt in a long time. "Well thanks again, I really appreciate it," she said softly. They both smiled at each other, for what felt like the twentieth time in the five minutes they had been together.

The drove the rest of the mile is comfortable silence, and Nicole finally pulled back into the same parking spot she had vacated earlier. Waverly grabbed the handle, ready to throw open the door when she groaned slightly, dreading the 6-plus our shift she had ahead of her. "I just realized I shouldn't have offered to close for Gus, earlier. Since I have to walk home, it's going to be so late before I get back," she said more to herself than anyone else.

"I can take you home later," Nicole says, immediately.

Waverly whipped her head to Nicole, staring. The corners of her lips curled up, "What, you think I'll still be in distress then?"

Nicole contained her grin, "I'd hate to risk it. Being an officer of the law and everything." They both laughed.

"But really, Nicole, that's too much. I'll find another ride. Thank you, though."

"Another ride? With who? One of the several gropey middle-aged drunks that will be left after last call? I don't think so. Seriously, it's no problem. I'm on duty until midnight, so I won't have been drinking and I'll be up, and being here later is probably exactly where I belong. Busiest bar in town is the most likely place in need of law enforcement late on a Tuesday." She flashed her white teeth as she turned and got out of the car, reaching the bar entrance in four long strides, and holding the door open for Waverly as she exited the car and tied her apron around her waist.

As she passed through the doorway she curtsied at Nicole, mouthing "Thank you." Nicole tipped the front of her Stetson in return, and both girls couldn't help but giggle as they crossed into the dark bar.

Waverly rounded the end of the bar, stuffing her handbag under the bar and clocking in at the computer. Nicole pulled up the seat she was in earlier, taking a long sip of her now-cold coffee as she watched Waverly move around, placing dirty glasses into the sink, wiping the counter in places, taking stock of the inventory of beer bottles and liquor, all as if it's second-nature to her.

Gus comes out of the double-swinging doors in the back, arms full of baskets of burgers and greasy fries. Nicole sees the flood of relief wash over her face to see Waverly there.

"It's about time!" she harps, jokingly as she breezes past them towards a table in the corner to deliver their food. Waverly just rolls her eyes to Nicole, suppressing a smile.

"She seems like a good boss," Nicole observes. Waverly closes the gap to the bar right in front of Nicole, and leans her elbows on it. "Oh, she is—she's great. She's also family—my aunt. She basically raised Wynonna and me after…" Waverly didn't finish the sentence, and she knew she didn't need to. Even without ever having a real conversation with Nicole before today, she knew she knew the story. Everyone in Purgatory did, for better or worse. It made it better—that she didn't have to retell it and relive it all of the time. But it also meant that's how she was defined to everyone in town. An Earp.

"It's really great you have such a strong support system. Your sister, too. I don't know her well, but I see her around the station some, and I think all of the handful of times I've spoken with her, she's mentioned you. She's fiercely protective, ya know?"

"Oh, trust me, I know," Waverly laughed low, under her breath. "When she first got back to town a few weeks ago, she found out I was dating Champ, and the next time she saw him, she threw him into that wall over there, held a forearm to his throat and threatened to castrate him if he ever hurt me. The whole bar was full. It went silent the second Champ's back thudded against the wall, so about 200 people heard the threat. He went ghost white… I thought his eyes were going to bug out of his head."

They both laughed.

"And you know what? I am one-hundred-percent certain that it was not an empty threat," Waverly grinned.

"I'm sure you're right about that," Nicole said, softly. They silently smiled at one another for a beat, and then Nicole placed both hands flat on the bar, leaned back, and exhaled.

"I guess I should get back out on patrol. But I'll be back for you. What time do you think you'll be done?"

"You really, really don't—"

"Stop it." Nicole put up a hand, seriously. "I don't want to hear it. What time are you done?"

Waverly sighed. "Probably about eleven?"

Nicole smiled, "Sounds good. I'll come back around 10:30, in case you're done early so you don't have to wait on me."

"Okay," Waverly nodded. "Do you want anything before you go? A to-go cup of coffee since I have it on good authority that you have none in your patrol car?" She grinned, and could swear she saw Nicole blush under the brim of her hat as she fitted it back on her head.

"You know, that'd be great, ma'am," she said, as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet. Waverly turned back around with the tall paper cup, fitting the plastic lid on as she set it down and slid it across the counter.

"Uh-uh. No way. Put that away. This is on the house. So is the one you were drinking here."

Nicole shook her head and continued to open her wallet, counting out bills inside.

"Nicole. Seriously," Waverly grabbed her wrist and closed her wallet with the other hand, catching her off guard. They locked eyes, and Waverly's sparked as she repeated herself. "Seriously, this is on the house."

Nicole finally relented, putting the wallet back in her pocket and nodding at the sweet smile in front of her.

"Okay, I'll see you in a few hours. Have a nice shift!"

"You too, _Officer Haught_."

Nicole shook her head and turned towards the door, swearing she just saw Waverly wink at her as she left.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the kind comments and follows... hope you enjoy!

* * *

Early on Friday afternoon, Waverly took one last glance in the mirror, picked up her lip-gloss, and applied another coat. It was the fourth day in a row that Nicole was giving her a ride to work, and Waverly found herself increasingly anxious, though she couldn't exactly put her finger on why.

Champ would be back tomorrow, and things would go back to normal. But Waverly would be lying if she said that she hadn't enjoyed this time to get to know Nicole. She knew very little about the deputy before Tuesday, when Nicole rescued her from the side of the road.

Since then, Nicole had insisted on picking Waverly up to take her to work every day, _and_ driving her home at the end of her shift. Last night, she had even contemplated inviting Nicole to hang around for a little while and have a drink when she dropped her off. Waverly just wanted to extend the time she had with her newfound friend. But, for whatever reason, she chickened out. Something about Nicole was making her hold back just a little—keep just a tiny bit of her thoughts and feelings to herself.

Waverly had never been shy, and always been quick to flirt. Hell, as a bartender, being friendly and flirtatious was practically in her job description. But Waverly knew, of course, that Nicole was a lesbian. And Waverly had no experience with women, so she was worried the flirting meant something different to Nicole than it did to Waverly. With guys, frankly, she didn't care about leading them on and shutting them down. But Nicole was different. Waverly wanted—needed—Nicole in her life. And the thought of hurting her burned Waverly deep in her chest. It made her breathless.

Even so, Waverly really couldn't prevent herself from indulging. Something about the way Nicole looked at her and spoke to her and listened to her made her feel more wanted than anyone ever had before—Champ included.

It set her on fire.

It drew her to Nicole, and to reciprocate the winks and innuendo and passing touches. Being flirted with by Nicole was so different than being flirted with by any of the men at Shorty's. Mostly, those men and boys (and boy-men) made her feel grimy and used; made her feel objectified in the worst and darkest ways imaginable. But Nicole… Nicole made Waverly feel alive. With Nicole, she felt wanted and safe and important. She felt good. Waverly was beginning to crave the feeling of Nicole's eyes on her, her laugh melting over her skin, her fingertips lightly ghosting over her hands and arms and shoulders in passing as they existed in each others' space.

As she continued fussing with her hair in the mirror, Waverly was brought out of her daydream by a jarring honk of a horn below. She glanced out the window to see Nicole's bright white teeth shining at her from behind the wheel of her patrol car, having now figured out which window Waverly would peek out of.

Butterflies instantly overtook Waverly's body as she took the stairs, two at a time, and blew out the front door, floating to Nicole's car.

"Hey," Waverly exhaled as she slid into the passenger's seat, smile firmly in tact.

"Hey," Nicole responded, dreamily, with her head rolling back on the headrest. The two smiled at one another for a beat.

"How has your day been so far?" Waverly asked.

"Oh, pretty good, I guess, Wave. The radio's been pretty quiet. I spent most of the mornin' filing reports and taking calls from the locals abou… wait… what?"

Waverly's smile was stretched from ear to ear and her blush was threatening to overtake her whole face. She didn't realize how drastically her expression had changed since Nicole started talking, but she clearly couldn't hide it any longer.

"Oh, it's nothing, really… what were all us crazy locals calling about?" Waverly tried to change the subject, flustered.

"No, no ma'am. You're not getting off that easy!" Nicole laughed and took her right hand off the steering wheel and nudged Waverly's shoulder lightly.

Waverly's body lit on fire, starting at the point Nicole touched and radiating through her chest. She caught her breath in her throat and looked at Nicole again, knowing that she was blushing hard.

Waverly steadied herself and grinned internally, suppressing her smile.

"You know, I hope that's not the interrogation technique you use on suspects. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to assault someone into talking," Waverly said, seriously.

Nicole guffawed and came to a smooth stop at a stop sign, but didn't miss a beat.

"Oh, Miss Earp," she said, voice low as she turned towards Waverly, looking her up and down, "you have _no idea_ what techniques I use to get people to do what I want."

Waverly's jaw dropped and she went slightly pale, giving Nicole the exact reaction she was looking for. She smiled, turned her head back to the road, and continued on to Shorty's.

Waverly sat there for a few moments, still stunned and chilled by the tone in Nicole's voice and the look in her eyes as they scanned her body. She took in a slow, deep breath, and then spoke, deciding it best to change the subject entirely.

"So what time do you get off work tonight?"

"Oh, I'm not exactly sure. I'm not workin' the overnight shift, I know. I think maybe ten or eleven? But don't worry, Wave, I can come get you even if…"

"No, no, Nicole, that's not why I'm asking." Waverly reached across the middle console and placed a hand on the crook of Nicole's elbow, her hands dutifully at 'ten-and-two' on the steering wheel.

Nicole's eyes fluttered down to Waverly's hand on her arm, and then up to meet Waverly's eyes briefly before returning to the road. "Oh? What's up then?"

Waverly smiled, and took another breath and began rambling. "Oh, I was just thinking, maybe, if you're not too tired, when I get off work maybe you'd want to stay when you drop me off? You totally don't have to if you're tired, or if you don't want to—I realize you might not want to, I'm being presumptuous—but you've just been so kind to drive me all week and I have really liked spending time with you and I was thinking I could make us some drinks, and I made a pie today, and I have a bunch of movies we could look through, or—I don't even know if you like movies, but—we could…"

"Waverly, Waverly, take a breath there, darlin'," Nicole said, laughing. She glanced over to Waverly to see her staring at her, a look of expectation and hope? Oh god, she hopes that's a look of hope, and she can't make the poor girl wait any longer.

"Of course I'd love to come over, Waves." Nicole smiled softly, and Waverly's smile lit up her whole face.

"Good." Waverly said, with a firm nod.

"Good," Nicole echoed. "And Waverly? I have, too."

"You have what?" Waverly asked, confused.

"Enjoyed spending time with you this week," her dimples shone on her slightly pink cheeks. "I may get slapped for saying this—and rightfully so—but Champ leaving you a gas-less truck is the best thing that's happened to me since I moved to Purgatory," Nicole said, sincerely.

Waverly's eyes dropped, slightly, at the mention of her bum boyfriend, but not for the reasons Nicole presumed. Though Waverly still was upset with him for not warning her about the gas gauge on the truck, she was mostly distraught at the reminder that he existed at all, and that he was returning tomorrow.

"Can we just not talk about him?" Waverly said, dismissively.

"Yeah, sure, Waves," Nicole paused a beat as she reached over and put her hand on Waverly's knee. "Listen, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"No, no, Nicole, it's totally fine." Waverly placed a comforting hand over Nicole's on her knee, and looked back up at her as they pulled into the Shorty's parking lot.

Nicole's put the car in park and looked over at Waverly, unsure of what she'd see. Immediately, her heart started racing and fluttering at the same time, making her feel lightheaded at the look Waverly was giving her. One thing Nicole had noticed these last few days, is that Waverly Earp has a lot of different smiles. She has shy smiles and mischievous smiles and flirty smiles and bashful smiles and amused smiles, and a whole host of others—all beautiful. But there's this one smile that just lights up her entire face. Her lips pulled wide, to the corners of her blushing cheeks, her eyes sparkled even brighter than usual, and the lines around the corners of her eyes and across her forehead become prominent, evident that she's straining to contain the happiness she feels with that smile. Nicole smiled back at her, breathless and speechless, just basking in the way Waverly was looking at her and stroking the back of her hand with her thumb.

Their moment was broken by the sound of a car door slamming, a few parking spots down. Waverly glanced over and saw Wayne, a local who always showed up at 4:00 on the dot—right for the start of happy hour.

"Hey, so, I need to get in there, but I should be off by 11? Come by then, and wear something comfy to watch movies in!"

Nicole laughed at the playful and child-like tone to Waverly's voice, nodding as she retracted her hand from the younger girl's knee.

"Yes ma'am. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Waverly hopped out and skipped to the bar, stopping briefly at the door to look over her shoulder and wave at Nicole. The officer pulled out of the parking lot and eased down the road, only to finally pull over when she was sure she was out of sight of Shorty's.

"What am I _doing?!_ " Nicole said aloud, to herself. She banged her forehead on the steering wheel a few times, groaning to herself at how deep she'd allowed herself to fall. She knew Waverly was spoken for; she knew Waverly was straight; she knew Waverly was just excited to have a new friend. But none of that stopped Nicole from feeling butterflies in her stomach and trembling in her bones at the thought of an evening alone with Waverly Earp.

Waverly's shift at Shorty's had flown by, and before she realized it, she had only one table, a few local drunks at the bar, and it was 10:38. She panicked, internally, for a brief moment, realizing that Nicole could walk in any minute. Waverly excused herself to the restroom with her handbag, brushing her hair and reapplying a bit of make-up. She would never admit it out loud, but Waverly understood, deep down, why she so desperately wanted to impress Nicole.

She replayed their moment earlier in the car, and the overwhelming rush she felt when Nicole's fingers wrapped around the curve of her knee and her thigh. The feeling jolted up and down her leg and made her feel warm all over. She had no idea what it was like to have feelings for a woman, but she was quickly realizing that she was going to find out—whether she wanted to or not.

She returned to the bar and begin the process of closing down—remaining customers be damned. Waverly was determined to get out of there right at 11, so that she could spend as much time with Nicole that night as possible, before Champ returned tomorrow. As she wiped down the bar and counted out her tips to balance the drawer, she waved off the last few drunken requests for another shot—convincingly telling the patrons that they'd already missed last call and needed to close out, despite knowing full well she had never given them the opportunity to order another round and prolong her shift. Grumbling, a few of them left, and only Waverly, Wayne, and one other guy at the end of the bar remained. Waverly smiled internally, victorious, and went to the far table to clear it off and wipe it down. As she stood up, she felt two hands wrap around her eyes from behind, and soft whisper of "surprise" in her right ear. Chills immediately shot through her, as she briefly marveled at Nicole's brazenness. Waverly smiled wide and turned around, being careful to not put too much distance between their two bodies.

Only, it wasn't Nicole.

Shocked, Waverly stumbled backwards, falling into the bench seat of the table and dropping a few dishes clattering to the floor. She stared up, panting, at the large grinning man above her.

"Geez, Waves, I didn't mean to scare you shitless. Get a hold of yourself. I was just trying to surprise you since I'm home early. Aren't you happy to see me?" Champ asked, still standing over Waverly.

"Champ! Uhh, yeauh, I mean, what are you doing here? You're not supposed to be back until tomorrow afternoon?" Waverly stood up, collecting both herself and the dropped dishes while she caught her breath.

"Yeah, well, we ended the trip a bit early so I convinced the guys to go ahead and bring us back and drop me off here. I've been missing my girl, if you know what I mean," Champ said, suggestively, as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

"Right, sure," Waverly brushed past him towards the dishwasher to unload her arms, mind racing. By this time, it was a few minutes past 11:00, and the last two customers had just left after all the commotion that Champ caused.

"By the way, I didn't see my truck out there. What'd you do to it? You didn't wreck it, did you?" Champ asked, seriously.

"What?" Waverly whipped around towards her boyfriend, eyes blazing. "Are you serious right now? No, Champ. I didn't wreck your shitty truck."

At this point, Waverly was so put off she wasn't even looking at Champ, and had momentarily forgotten that she was expecting Nicole.

"Okay, well where is it? You know, I left it for you to be nice and so that's why I had the guys drop me off here, because I figured you had it, and…"

"To be nice?! You left me a truck with no gas to be NICE, Champ? Funny way of showing it. Well, your shitty truck is on the side of the road near the homestead because it had about an ounce of gas in it when you dropped it off. You figure out what to do about it."

"You mean you've left it there all week? You couldn't put gas in it? What, have you been walking back and forth to work? That's so stupid, Waverly…"

"No, she hasn't been walking."

Both Waverly and Champ snapped their heads towards the door and the sound of the new voice. Nicole stood there, out of uniform, hair hanging around her shoulders, wavy from her braid, with a loose v-neck sweater, jeans, and brown boots. Waverly's breath got caught in her throat for a moment, realizing it was the first time she'd seen the deputy out of uniform. It was not disappointing.

After recovering from the intrusion, Waverly looked towards Champ.

"That's right. Nicole has been giving me a ride; she picked me up the day your truck left me stranded." Waverly crossed her arms and faced Champ, defiant.

"O—kay…" Champ said, slowly. "Uhh, thanks, Officer. That was real nice of you."

Nicole looked at Champ, slightly incredulous. "Ummm, yeah." She turned her attention to Waverly, "I would say sorry for being a few minutes late, but I can see you're a little occupied?"

Nicole's question came out more irritated than she intended, but she was struggling to hide her disappointment and frustration at Champ being there with Waverly.

Before Waverly could even respond, Champ chimed in, "Yeah, it's not a problem, she hasn't been waiting. I assume I can hitch a ride back with her? Your patrol car isn't a two-seater after all."

The lecherous grin on Champ's face made Nicole nauseous, but she pushed it down and forced a smile. "Sure, Champ. Not a problem," and she looked over at Waverly.

Waverly had yet to say much of anything since confirming what Nicole had said about their rides and she stood there in that moment, staring at the ground. She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with Nicole.

Waverly didn't object to the ride right then, nor chime in to accept it, but before she knew it, Champ was pushing the two of them into the back seat of Nicole's patrol car while Nicole slammed the door behind him.

Nicole revved the car out of the parking lot, and drove at least 10-mph faster down the road to the Earp homestead than she had any time the week prior. After once catching a glimpse of Champ whispering in Waverly's ear in the rearview mirror, she trained her eyes to the road and decided it best to not consider what he was saying to her in the back seat. To her credit, Waverly looked miserable, but that wasn't really a sight Nicole wanted to see, either.

Nicole came to an abrupt stop by the Earp front porch and put the car in park, remaining silent.

"Thanks again, Officer," Champ said from the back seat. Nicole just nodded as she heard a few clicks from behind her.

"Oh, right. I have to let you out of back there," Nicole grumbled as she hauled herself out of the front seat and opened the back door, averting her eyes from either of her passengers. Nicole had a lump in her throat that she swore would be visible to Waverly, and she was on the verge of tears. She had to hold it together until she got out of there.

Waverly got out first, and mumbled a quiet, "Thanks, Nicole," under her breath as she brushed past towards the house. Champ patted her on the shoulder roughly, "See ya around!" and walked up behind Waverly, wrapping his arm around her lower back.

Dejected, Nicole got back in the car and started to turn around in the gravel driveway, willing the tears to stay in her eyes a few moments more. But as she shifted back into drive, she heard a banging on the trunk. She quickly applied the brakes and looked up in the mirror, seeing Waverly frantically signaling for her to stop. Nicole put the car in park and rolled down her window, sighing and covertly wiping the corners of her eyes.

"What is it, Waves?" Try as she might, Nicole couldn't hide the exasperated tone of her voice—after being so excited for that night and having it ruined, she just wanted to get back home.

"Listen, I… I just wanted to apologize." Waverly took a breath in, hands shaking as she tried to steady herself and say what she knew she needed to say. It wasn't lost on her that Nicole was holding back tears, and it broke her to think she was hurting Nicole. She had to make it right.

"I had no idea he was going to come home early, and he literally showed up at Shorty's five minutes before you got there or else I would have tried to give you a heads up, and…"

"It's fine, Waverly. Really… it's not your fault. It's whatever. It was nice of him to surprise you. Hope you have a nice night. I'll see ya 'round," she tried to roll her window back up, but Waverly lunged forward and grabbed the door with both hands, stopping her.

"No, Nicole, listen to me." She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and willed Nicole to look up at her. After a moment, their eyes locked, and Waverly instantly softened her voice and closed the last few inches between her and the car, so she could talk more directly to Nicole.

"I'm not just apologizing for messing up your night. I'm apologizing because _I'm_ sorry that _my night_ was ruined, too." She looked at Nicole with intensity that she hoped conveyed the words she knew she couldn't say. "I was really, _really_ looking forward to spending time with you tonight. Can we please reschedule?" Waverly reached out her right hand, pushing a few strands of hair out of Nicole's eyes so she could see her better.

Nicole blinked, not expecting the touch or the request. "Umm, yeah, I'd like that," she shifted in her seat to look more directly at Waverly. "Movie night and homemade pie sure sounded good to me."

Waverly's stomach flipped at the return of Nicole's electrifying smile.

"Good, good," Waverly exhaled and smiled. "How about Sunday night? Champ always has dinner with his folks that night, and I'm sure Wynonna will be out somewhere with Doc and Dolls. I'll even bake a fresh new pie for you."

"A _fresh_ pie? Well, Miss Waverly, you sure do know the way to a girl's heart," Nicole flirted, emboldened by Waverly's efforts. Waverly froze, but before giving her a chance to recollect herself, Nicole started to roll up her window, and shifted into gear.

"I'll see you at 8 on Sunday, Waves. I'll bring the movie."

"Yeah, see ya then." Waverly stepped back and smiled back as the tires on Nicole's car crackled over the gravel. She stood there until the car was out of sight, buzzing from head to toe. Then she glanced back at the door, knowing Champ was in there, waiting on her. She sighed and trudged back up the steps.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Waverly got back inside, there were two empty beer bottles on Champ's tiny dining room table, and his bare feet were up on the coffee table while he flicked through TV channels.

"What was that about, Wave? Oh, and can you bring me another beer? This one is half gone."

"Champ, I was outside for less than ten minutes, and that's your third. What were you doing, chugging them?"  
"Well, yeah," he said, grumpily. "I came back from a trip with my buddies early and not only is my truck out of commission, but my girl seems more interested in chatting with some cop than spending time with me." He slammed his near-empty beer bottle on the coffee table and sat up, turning towards Waverly.

Waverly didn't blink. "I'm not 'your girl,' Champ."

"What?!"

"I'm a human being. I'm my own person. I don't belong to anyone, including you."

Waverly wasn't looking at Champ, busying herself with putting away the pie she had prepared and glasses she had set out for her evening with Nicole. She really didn't want Champ questioning her about that right now.

After a few moments, Waverly felt Champs big, strong hands wrap around the sides of her hips and pull her backwards, towards him. He didn't pull hard or hurt her, he just melded himself to her back, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Waves. I know you're not ' _mine_ ' in that way. You're your own beautiful woman. That's why I love you so much. I just thought you'd be happier to see me after a whole week away."

Waverly's resolve was dissipating, softening at Champ's warm hands and warm words, reminded of what had drawn her to him all those years ago, and kept her with him still. She stilled her hands and turned around in Champ's arms, resting her own on his shoulders, dangling her hands behind him.

"I'm sorry, too, Champ. It's not that I'm not happy to see you. It's just that… I don't really like surprises. I had plans with Nicole tonight, and you know I hate breaking plans. I just feel bad for blowing her off."

Champ smiled wide, "You always have been a planner, Waves." He chuckled under his breath, letting his hands roam over Waverly's body. He leaned in, peppering kisses on her neck. "So sorry I ruined girls' night," he chuckled.

Waverly groaned a bit in frustration over Champ's dismissal of her evening with Nicole, but Champ took it to mean that she was enjoying his assault on her neck.

"There's the Waverly I know…" he whispered, lips pressed just under her ear.  
Waverly's stomach dropped, and she pushed back away from the counter, shoving Champ back and away from her. He looked back at her, eyes wide and uncertain, as she angrily huffed out, "That's the problem, Champ!" She paused, releasing a defeated breath. Softer, she said, "That's the only Waverly you know… or care about."  
She swiftly moved into the bedroom, slamming the door harder than she intended, but not regretting it in the slightest. Waverly knew Champ wouldn't chance coming in there now; he'd sleep on the couch. She sank into the bed, holding her head in her hands and wondering how she ended up there.

* * *

As Nicole turned the page, she glanced over the top of her book to see her overweight, orange cat circling her feet for the third time that Sunday afternoon. "Lolly, lay down already!" she laughed at her old companion. Lolly was nearing the end of her first decade, and she had been with Nicole for almost her whole life. Nicole smiled as she almost immediately curled up between Nicole's calves and started purring softly.

Nicole's phone chimed twice, and after finishing the page, Nicole casually reached over the check the message, presuming it was another reminder from her mother to schedule a dentist appointment.

" _Almost 30-years old and she still smothers me…_ " Nicole thought.

But it wasn't her mother. Instead, Nicole was pleasantly surprised to see "Waverly Earp-1 image attached" splayed across the screen.

Grinning, she slid her finger over the lock button, and was greeted with a shot of the Earp kitchen counter, covered in baking ingredients: flour, butter, brown sugar, salt, blueberries, maple syrup, and more. It was accompanied with the caption "Just a little preview to get you excited for tonight… ;)"  
Nicole chuckled to herself, thought a moment, and then typed out a reply before she could chicken out.

 **N: I'm sure all that's gonna make a delicious pie, but if you wanted to get me excited for tonight, you should have sent me a selfie. (Spoiler alert: I already am excited!) ;)**

A few minutes passed, and Nicole tried to refocus on her book, knowing that Waverly was likely baking and wouldn't respond. But she kept catching herself glancing over, willing the screen to light up with Waverly's name.

Fifteen or so minutes passed, and Nicole started getting anxious. Had she stepped over a line?

She set her book on the coffee table and went into her kitchen, leaving her phoneand hoping to take her mind off of the text. She pulled a glass from the cabinet and filled it half way, taking a long, slow chug. With just a sip or two left, the bottom of the glass clinked back down to the counter; Nicole took in a big breath, staring down into the sink. She refilled the glass. Repeat.

On her fourth long gulp of water, the silence in her apartment broke with two shrill, high-pitched chimes. As Nicole set the glass down again, she was surprised to see her hand shaking slightly, and she slowly and deliberately took a few strides back into her living room and picked up her phone, swiping immediately, even with her shaky hand.

Immediately, all of Nicole's fears vanished, and a hearty laugh tumbled out of her throat without intention.

Staring back at her was the bright, bubbly, and beautiful face of Waverly Earp, filling the entire frame. She smiled from ear to ear, but was being intentionally goofy, having patted flour all over her face and hair, crossed her eyes, and painted striped "war paint" under her eyes and down her nose in what Nicole could only assume was blueberry juice. The tip of Waverly's tongue hung out of the side of her mouth, completing the picture that was so perfectly Waverly.

A warmth filled Nicole and a smile stretched across her face as she stared at the picture, and then, almost just as quickly and easily, she groaned and dropped her head when she realized how thoroughly and completely she was falling for Waverly.

"Good god, I'm screwed," she said aloud, looking to Lolly for a bit of comfort. Of course, the old cat provided none.

A moment later, another message came through, and Nicole replied immediately.

 **W: That'll teach you to ask for something you're not ready for!**

 **N: Oh, Waverly. I'm ready for anything you've got. ;)**

* * *

Waverly was pleasantly surprised with how quickly Nicole's reply came, but she wasn't prepared for her own reaction. It was the first time she'd ever texted with the deputy, and she hated how much she loved the flirtatious tone in this conversation. She hesitated, and then hit send.

 **W: Well I guess we'll see about that, Officer!**

And then a quick follow-up:  
 **W: Can't wait, by the way. See you in a few hours—you can come earlier, if you'd like!**

Waverly immediately regretted the last addition. She didn't want to seem too eager, but noting that it was just 2:36, she didn't want to wait more than five hours to see Nicole. Champ had left shortly after lunch, mumbling something about helping his mom with something before their family dinner. Whatever his excuse, it was a welcome one. They had barely spoken since their argument Friday evening, and things had been tense around the homestead. Waverly noticeably relaxed when she heard the wheels of his newly-gassed-up truck churn down the driveway. She knew one of them would have to eventually apologize, but she'd be damned if she cracked first.

Waverly was brought out of her daydream by another text message.

 **N: Want me to bring over some dinner to compliment that blueberry pie?**

 **W: That sounds great! I'm okay with whatever… I'm pretty easy!**

 **N: Well then… I guess that's good to know. ;)**

Waverly's face grew hot with embarrassment at the realization of what she'd said. She flailed around the room for a moment, talking to herself, trying to come up with a response.

" _Should I take it back? Make a joke? Gah!_ " She thought to herself. She was so flustered—a feeling she was experiencing more and more because of Nicole. She stopped for a moment, taking a breath, and held the phone out at arm's length. She tilted her head down and covered her face with her other hand, splitting her index and middle finger enough so she could peek up at the camera with one eye. She snapped the picture and then double checked it. Pleased that she looked like a good blend of bashful and cute, she sent it to Nicole and a reply came back quickly.

 **N: Hah! See you soon, Waves. :)**

* * *

At 6:43, Nicole pulled her truck up in front of the Earp homestead, grabbed the bag of Chinese food, and started up to the front door. Her stomach churned with a mix of hunger, nerves, and excitement as she knocked. Waverly answered the door almost immediately, smiling wide.

"Welcome, Officer Haught!" she said, moving aside so Nicole could step inside. Nicole nodded and brushed past Waverly into the house. As she turned around, she fully took in the shorter girl, from head to toe. Waverly was barefoot, in dark, tight jeans, and an oversized light blue sweater that hung loosely off her right shoulder, a white tank top underneath. The front of her hair was pulled back and tied loosely with a band on the top of her head, the rest flowing down her back and around her shoulders. If she was wearing make-up, Nicole couldn't tell. She looked clean and fresh, but bright and like she was lighting up the whole room. It took Nicole's breath away, momentarily.

Coming to her senses, she held up the bag.

"I hope Chinese is okay? I wasn't sure what you'd get, so I ordered a few different things."

"Chinese sounds great! Come on, I'll get some plates."

Waverly bounced into the kitchen, pulling two plates down from the cabinet and helping Nicole take out all of the white cardboard take-out containers and going through them, one by one.

Their conversation was light and easy, picking out the best parts of all the dishes Nicole had brought, deciding to open a bottle of red wine, and discussing their inevitable pie dessert.

"Oh, so you did have some flour and berries leftover to use in an actual pie? I thought they all ended up in your hair," Nicole teased.

Waverly laughed, freely. "I sure did. And lucky for you, if tradition holds, the messier I am while baking, the better the finished product. This pie is destined to be my best yet." She beamed at Nicole and Nicole's heart began to race. It must have played on her face, because Waverly's eyes changed, and the air grew thicker.

Nicole had promised herself that she would keep things light. She knew she was developing feelings for Waverly, but she also knew that the girl was straight and attached, and she would only complicate their friendship and break her own heart if she let herself run with those feelings. But she was finding that goal much harder than anticipated in practice. It was one thing to tell herself to be calm and normal around Waverly. It was another thing all together to look into her eyes and hear her laugh and smell her shampoo, and generally have all of her senses assaulted by Waverly Earp. It was intoxicating, and Nicole was beginning to question if this movie night in was a good idea.  
"Hello?! Earth to Nicole?" Nicole snapped out of her Waverly-induced haze to a hand waving in front of her face. She blushed.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, shaking her head slightly.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Waverly reached a hand out, wrapping it around Nicole's forearm and pulling her eyes to make contact.

"I'm sorry, Waves. I don't know where I went…"  
"Is… is there somewhere else you need to be…?" Waverly asked, hesitantly.

"No! No, not at all," Nicole said, confidently. She wrapped her opposite hand around the small one resting on her arm. "I'm right where I want to be."

They smiled at each other for a moment, before Waverly broke eye contact.

"Well then, ya wanna eat before this gets cold? We could go ahead and put a movie in, if you want."

"Sounds perfect. I didn't know what type of movie you'd be in the mood for, so I brought a few of my favorites, but I'm totally fine with something else if you have one in mind."

"Well what did you bring?" Waverly asked, brightly.

Nicole reached in her bag, pulling out four DVDs.

"Pitch Perfect, Ocean's Eleven, Scream, and the first Hunger Games?"

"Ohhhh… four good choices!" Waverly hummed to herself, jokingly pretending to be deep in thought as she picked up the two plates and started walking towards the living room. Nicole grinned and grabbed the wine bottle and two glasses from the rack on the wall.

"You know, we deal with so much scary stuff and death as it is… how about Pitch Perfect?"

"Sounds good to me!"

Nicole moved around to the TV, put in the DVD, and clicked on the TV. When she turned around, Waverly had settled herself into the middle of the couch, plates down and was pouring wine for them both. Given Waverly's position, Nicole had no choice but to sit immediately next to her, leaving barely six inches between them.

The movie started without much additional conversation, both quietly enjoying the food, wine, and each other's company as the beginning scenes rolled. Occasionally, they caught each other's eye as they laughed, and after a few moments Nicole noticed that Waverly was settling into the couch and closer to Nicole as she sat back, done with her dinner. Nicole finished a few minutes later and mirrored Waverly, picking up her glass of wine and settling all the way back into the couch, wedged as far into the arm and corner as she could.

In the movie, Beca walked around the student activity fair, making it to the Barden Bella's table and meeting Aubrey and Chloe the first time.

"I don't care what this movie and the sequel say, I will always believe that Beca and Chloe are deeply in love with each other." Nicole said with a laugh.

Waverly looked over at her with a questioning smile and a glint in her eye. "What?"

"You've seen this before, right?" Nicole asked.

"Actually… no. I haven't."  
"Whaaaat?" Nicole asked, incredulously, grabbing the remote to pause it. "You've really never seen this? Oh that's so exciting. I love watching my favorite movies with people who have never seen them. It's the closest I'll ever get to experiencing it for the first time again."

Nicole turned towards Waverly, fully, and pulled her left leg under her, sitting on her foot.

"So, that girl is Chloe. I'm not spoiling anything by telling you she's one of the other main characters. But, like, and this is not just me being crazy—there are whole theories about these two online—she and Beca have insane chemistry in this movie. They are totally into each other. It's not really canon, but it's undeniable. I love it."

Waverly stared at her for a minute, enjoying seeing Nicole get so genuinely excited about something.

"Well, how do you know?"  
"That they totally love each other?"

Waverly laughed. "Yeah! I mean, if it's not an actual storyline, what gives you that impression?"  
"You'll see. It's just the way they look at each other and are always drawn to each other. It's almost as if they're magnetic. They move through each other's spaces so naturally, and they're always really concerned about each other."  
"I mean, but couldn't they just be best friends?" Waverly's question was innocent and gentle. There was no tone of confrontation between the two. On the contrary, they both seemed to genuinely enjoy the back-and-forth.

"They could be, sure. And that's all they are in the movie. I don't know. But the way Chloe looks at Beca? I don't think I've ever looked at a woman that way if I wasn't completely into her."

Waverly laughed softly, bowing her head.  
"Okay, okay. Fair enough. Well start it up again—I need to see these sparks flying!"

They smiled at each other again, but both felt the mood shift, only slightly. Nicole had only realized about halfway through the conversation what a terrible idea it was to be talking about _chemistry_ and _looks_ like that, especially when she was certain she was giving Waverly that look _as she told her_ that there is a difference.

Waverly, for her part, was simultaneously intrigued by Nicole's insistence that these two 'best friends' had an unspoken connection beyond friendship, and mortified by her last comment about sparks.

Sparks were something she'd felt since she first laid her eyes on Nicole that night. Sparks she felt when she first opened her door and saw her there—all leggy and gorgeous with her hair down and a tight black tshirt over jeans with a hole in the knee. Sparks she felt when she touched Nicole's arm in the kitchen earlier. And sparks she definitely felt right then as she realized they had inched and settled closer and closer to each other in the couch. Only about an inch of space separated them now, and it put Waverly on high alert, but moving away from Nicole would be awkward and something that no part of her wanted.

They both trained their eyes on the screen, relaxing as the minutes passed and the scenes rolled. Waverly caught Nicole singing along with the songs more than once—and she thought it was adorable. After the shower scene where Beca and Chloe sing Titanium, Waverly looked over at Nicole.

"Okay, I totally get it. They totally want to get it on."

"Yes!" Nicole patted the couch, triumphantly. "I told you! I'm so glad you see it, too." She beamed at Waverly.

"I sure do," she laughed. While they giggled with each other, Waverly reached up and behind Nicole, having to lean over her to reach a blanket draped across the back of her arm rest. Their bodies went flush for a moment, and Nicole's ability to continue the light laughter was completely stunted. She held her breath until Waverly had settled back in her same seat, unfolding the blanket and seemingly oblivious to the effect she had just had on the other girl.

"Sorry for reaching across you like that," Waverly said, casually. "I am just getting chilly. What about you? Want to share?" Waverly held up a corner of the blanket towards her in invitation.

Nicole absolutely wanted to share a blanket with Waverly, but her head told her it would be a bad idea.

"No, no, I'm good, thanks." She smiled briefly and turned back towards the movie. Though, she could have sworn she saw a look of disappointment flash across Waverly's face.

Waverly, for her part, was slightly disappointed. Every moment spent there with Nicole was more and more confirmation to her that the looks that they shared and the moments that passed between them—however fleeting—were of the same type that she watched flit across the screen between Beca and Chloe. She was looking for any excuse to touch Nicole or look at Nicole or hear Nicole's laugh that she could.

The movie went on, without incident, and the two shared moments of laughter and singing along and other idle chatter. As the credits began to roll, Waverly leaned her head back on the couch and just gazed at Nicole. They were halfway through their second bottle of wine by this time, and she was beginning to feel whatever resolve or lingering uncertainty she had over her growing feelings dissipate. She was so happy in that moment. Just sitting there in her presence, stomach full of food and wine, throat full of laughter, and heart—she couldn't deny it—was full with Nicole.

"I'm really sorry, Nicole," she said, softly.

Nicole's head whipped around towards her, confusion twisted up in her face. "Sorry for what?"

"For the other night. I could tell how upset you were when you dropped us off. I should have insisted that you stay and Champ go somewhere else. I'm really sorry."

Nicole's face went slightly paler as Waverly spoke.

"Oh, no, no, Wave, it's really fine. I wasn't that upset."

"I was," Waverly said, without thinking.

They looked at each other for a moment before Nicole took a deep breath and spoke again.

"Okay, so I was pretty upset. But I had no reason to be. Your boyfriend came home and surprised you. That's really sweet. It's just—I haven't really made many friends in Purgatory yet, so I was really looking forward to that on Friday. But tonight has more than made up for it," a beaming smile returned to her face.

Waverly reached out a hand from under the blanket and took Nicole's in hers, lacing their fingers. She knew she probably shouldn't, but she needed to be in contact with this other girl.

Nicole's breath hitched, and she stared at their interlocking fingers, afraid to move the slightest inch or it would burst the bubble they had entered.

"It wasn't really that sweet," Waverly said after a moment or two. Realizing she was not being clear, she spoke again, "Champ coming back. He just wanted to get laid. He wasn't trying to be sweet. Honestly, we haven't really spoken at all since that night. He left way early for his parents' this afternoon. I don't think he's ever done that. He doesn't really get along with his dad."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Waverly. I'm sure you'll work things out," Nicole's words betrayed the thoughts in her head, and she kept staring with laser focus on Waverly's hand in hers.

"I'm not so sure…" Waverly trailed off. A comfortable silence grew over the pair for a while, both looking at their hands and exchanging soft smiles, neither sure what to say or if anything needed to be said. Nicole thought—for the most fleeting moment—that Waverly might be thinking about kissing her. But any lingering thought to that effect was quickly dismissed when Waverly jumped up, without warning, shouting about pie.

"Pie! I totally forgot the pie! I promised you!" She ran into the kitchen and hurriedly pre-heated the oven, needing to finish cooking the pie for another 8 minutes—the exact length of time Waverly knew she needed to get it piping hot again.

Nicole laughed a little, despite her inner disappointment at the sudden loss of contact and the moment, and followed into the kitchen.

Waverly bustled around, putting the pie in the oven when it beeped, pulling a carton of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer, and stretching up on the very tip of her toes to reach two bowls on a high shelf for the dessert. Nicole watched her move, enthralled, a smile creeping over her face. After a few moments, Waverly caught Nicole's eye and she looked over at her, smiling, questioningly.

"What?"  
"Oh, nothing," Nicole said. "It's just… you put on an apron. It's really adorable." Nicole knew she would have never said that if she hadn't been 3-glasses of wine deep, but seeing the crimson blush spread over Waverly's face made her glad she did.  
"Hah! Well, I'm a bit of a klutz, so it's a must-have when I'm in the kitchen. I was only half-joking with that picture I sent you earlier. The flour in my hair was not done on purpose." She sheepishly smiled before peeking into the oven.

They stood in comfortable silence for another minute or two, waiting on the pie. When the oven beeped again, Waverly gleamed, grabbed her hotpads, and slid the pie out of the oven onto a cooling rack on the counter. It smelled and looked perfect. Waverly looked so proud.

Waverly dished out the pie and then plopped a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of each, handing both bowls to Nicole.

"Dessert is served, ma'am!" she said with enthusiasm.

"I can't wait. It looks delicious," Nicole laughed.

"Here, you take these in there. I have to get us a couple of whiskeys."

"Oh, no, really, that's probably not a good idea…" Nicole said, hesitantly.

"Oh," Waverly stuttered. "It really goes well with this pie and ice cream! Are you sure?"

"It sounds delicious, it's just that I should probably not have anything else to drink… it's getting close to 10:00 and I'll have to drive home here soon." " _And I'm not sure I can keep my composure around you if I have anymore alcohol,"_ Nicole thought to herself.

Nicole could have kicked herself for causing the defeated look on Waverly's face that followed her last audible statement. But truly, Nicole didn't know what else to say.

Waverly opened her mouth twice, as if to start saying something. Both times she stopped herself.

"What? What is it, Waves?"

Waverly hesitated again. "It's… it's just… I mean… I don't know. Nevermind, I'm being weird."  
Nicole set the two bowls down on the breakfast table in the kitchen and stepped towards Waverly.

"No really, what is it?" Nicole had an idea of what Waverly was grappling with, and she really hoped she was right. But she couldn't be the one to mention it. It had to come from Waverly, and even then, Nicole wasn't sure it was such a good idea.

"I… I was just going to say you could stay here tonight if you wanted to be able to have a few more drinks, but it's really okay if you don't want to and totally no pressure, it's fine with me if you don't or can't or whatever, I just wanted you to know you have that option." Once Waverly started talking, she rambled through the run-on sentence.

Nicole smiled, "Waverly, I would like that, but are you sure? What about Champ? Won't he be coming back here later?"  
"I don't know? Probably not. Most nights, if he's not home by now he either doesn't come home at all, or stumbles in the door around 4:00am and can't even make it to the bedroom. I find him passed out on the couch at least three times a week when I get up to make coffee." She looked at the floor, sadly.

"Oh," Nicole said, really unsure of what else to say.

"Well in that case, if you're really sure, I'll take that whiskey." Nicole had no idea if Waverly was really sure of what she was asking, but she was really sure that she both really wanted to stay, and really knew it was a terrible idea for her own self-preservation. But the way Waverly's face lit up when Nicole said that made Nicole glad she was listening to her heart rather than her head.

"Great. That's great. Okay… take those in there, I'll be right behind you!"

The excitement in Waverly's voice was palpable and contagious. A huge, dimpled grin cast over Nicole's face, and Waverly felt her knees buckle a little bit at the sight.

As Nicole sat back down on the couch, a new wave of anxiety coursed through her.

" _What am I doing? Getting drunk with Waverly and sleeping over? This is a terrible idea."_ She thought to herself.

A moment later, Waverly sauntered in, glass in each hand and having lost the apron she was wearing only seconds before. The apron must have shifted her sweater slightly, because it hung further off Waverly's shoulder, exposing more collarbone and cleavage than it had earlier in the night. Waverly bent over the coffee table towards Nicole, setting down the two glasses before rounding the table and planting herself right next to Nicole again, thighs brushing as she sat down.

" _Yup,"_ Nicole thought, _"A terribly, wonderful idea."_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This is a short chapter, but it's going to be another week or two before I can post again, so I wanted to get _something_ up for you all. I hope you enjoy, and I'll have a longer one for you next time!

-

Early morning light filtered in through the sheer blinds of the bedroom window. In phases, Waverly woke from a deep sleep, aware of the warmth of the sun and the coolness and softness of the bedding around her. Her eyes fluttered open, immediately noticing the glimmer of copper hair inches from her face. She slowly, subtly lifted her head, looking around to take in her surroundings.

Waverly and Nicole were sharing her bed, having passed out after a long night of drinking and talking and laughing and flirting. She looks down and sees her left leg, hooked over Nicole's, and her left arm draped across Nicole's stomach. Waverly's breath catches in her throat as she realizes how intimate they look. Waverly had always been a cuddler, and this is not the first time she'd woken up in a compromising position with someone who was not her significant other. Wynonna had been on the receiving end of Waverly's sleepy snuggles for decades.

But this was perhaps the first time that Waverly had awoken like that, and stayed. Waverly took in every inch of Nicole that she could from such proximity. Nicole peacefully stayed sleeping, oblivious to the audience she had gained. Waverly let her eyes cast over Nicole's face, eyes still closed, and porcelain skin flawlessly at ease, dimples faintly noticeable. Waverly smiled as she noticed Nicole's twitching eye lids and slight pull in the edge of her smile.

Nicole was dreaming.

Before Waverly knew it, she sighed to herself, content and glowing and in awe of the woman she was still holding in her arms. She knew—with no remaining doubts or hesitation or uncertainty—that her feelings for Nicole were anything but platonic, despite that their night together had been nothing but. She ran her eyes down Nicole's form, realizing that her shirt had risen up in the night, and Waverly's thumb rested on the soft skin of Nicole's hip. Instinctively, she brushed the pad of her fingers over the skin. Waverly continued scanning the length of Nicole's body, blushing when she saw her two, strong, long legs, tangled in the sheets. Having not planned to spend the night, Nicole hadn't had pajamas, and drunkenly, as the two girls fell into the bed in the wee hours of the morning, Waverly had just casually suggested she just take her jeans off.

"Those would be so uncomfortable to sleep in," she had said.

As Waverly replayed the scene of Nicole shrugging and then peeling her jeans down her legs, she also relived the heat and blush that ran down her spine and made her fumble out of the room to "get a cup of water."

Unconsciously, Waverly closed her eyes and hummed softly to herself, trying to plan her next move—a not awkward way out of the precarious position they were then in. But whatever plans Waverly was beginning to make were out the window when she felt warm fingers wrap around her hand on Nicole's hip.

Waverly's eyes shot open in panic, as she looked down and was met with Nicole's bright eyes staring back at her, an uncertain half-smile on her face.

"Good morning, Wave," she said softly.

"Uh… hey… good, good morning, Nicole."

They stared at one another past the point of awkwardness, until Waverly broke their gaze, and started climbing back from the entanglement of limbs and sheets.

"I'm sorry, I get really clingy at night, I… I didn't mean… I'm really sorry, Nicole, I should have slept on the couch and not… I…"

"Hey… Waves…" Nicole reached out with the hand Waverly had just withdrawn from, grabbing her hand again to keep her close. "It's okay," she laughed, softly. "I like to cuddle, too. I don't mind."

She paused.

"I… I… it was a nice way to wake up," she finished.

Waverly's head dipped, blushing again. "Yeah, it was."

They locked eyes and both slowly allowed their smiles to grow, saying to the other the rest of the conversation they weren't saying aloud.

Waverly softly lay back down, next to Nicole, withdrawing her hand once again. Nicole shifted to her side, facing Waverly. They laid there, without touching, silently staring at one another, drinking in the moment and one another.

Waverly felt the steady ground shift underneath the life she had built for herself thus far. Lying there, not simply just looking at Nicole, but seeing and feeling the way Nicole looked back at her, she knew things had to change. This moment was unlike any she had ever felt, and she wanted—needed to keep feeling it.

She tried to read Nicole's eyes; tried to figure out if they were in this heavy moment together, or if Waverly was proscribing meaning to things that weren't there.

As if she could read Waverly's mind, Nicole reached out, placing four fingers gingerly on Waverly's forearm.

"I don't think I've had as much fun, or been as happy, as I was last night in a very long time. Thank you, Waverly."

The rosy tint in Waverly's cheeks deepened, and an involuntary giggle escaped her lips. Her absolute euphoria couldn't be contained.

"Me too, Nicole. Me too," she paused, "So, did you sleep okay?"

"I really did. I don't think I moved an inch after I fell asleep."

Nicole started looking around the bed, with a joking look on her face, pulling up the side of the fitted sheet, "What kind of mattress is this? I'm gonna have to get me one."

Waverly laughed, "I have no idea! I guess you'll just have to start staying here with me to make sure you get good sleep."

The words fell from her tongue before she could process them. Nicole's head whipped back up, and Waverly saw the same glimmer of hope she had seen in her eyes the night before, so she didn't regret it. Instead, she reached a hand forward, running her index finger along Nicole's cheek, from her nose back to her ear to her chin, without saying a word. Nicole's eyes bulged, and she held her breath, completely unsure of what was happening.

"Wha… what are you doing, Wave?" Nicole asked, almost imperceptivity.

Waverly smiled, "Just tracing the pillow creases on your face. You really did sleep well!"

Nicole almost snorted, playfully swatting at Waverly's hand.

"Well that's one way to make sure I don't come back… making fun of me…" Nicole grumbled, obviously joking.

They both laughed, again settling in on their sides, facing one another.

After a few moments, Nicole asked, "What time is it? I have to go home to shower and get in my uniform before my shift."

"Ummmm," Waverly turned her head around, eyes squinting looking for her clock, "Seven… Eighteen. What time do you work?"

"I have to be there at ten…"

Waverly nodded, "Good, good. You can stay for breakfast," she said, matter-of-factly.

"Breakfast sounds good," Nicole replied.

But neither moved for several moments, neither wanting to be the first to break the bubble they had enjoyed thus far that morning.

Finally, Waverly spoke.

"Okay, I'm really going to have to drag myself out of this bed to make coffee… my head is killing me!" She laughed. "How are you feeling?"

Nicole thought for a moment, looking back at Waverly who looked at her, so genuinely interested in her response.

"Honestly?" A beat passed. "I don't think I've ever felt better."

Waverly's heart soared, still locked onto the glint in Nicole's eyes. She forced herself to look away. She abruptly got up, needing some space. Not space between her and Nicole, but space to process her feelings and emotions.

"So, does that mean you don't need any coffee?" she asked, a flirty tone returning as she found her voice, tossing the question over her shoulder as she started into the kitchen.

"Oh, Ms. Earp. I thought you knew me a little better than that by now," she chuckled.

As Waverly walked into the kitchen, she could hear Nicole stirring and starting to get out of the bed. She exhaled thoroughly, and realized for the first time that morning that her hands were shaking. She gripped the edge of the counter and steadied her breathing. After a beat, she opened the drawer and grabbed a filter, the coffee, and a spoon and started brewing a pot. She opened the fridge, searching for something, anything, to eat that would quiet her stomach.

"Waverly! What the fuck?!"

Waverly's heart sank through the floor at the sound of Champ's voice and the front door clicking shut behind him.

She spun around, slamming the refrigerator, harder than necessary. "Champ! Hey!" She exclaimed, nervously.

"Whose fucking truck is that out there?! I swear, Waverly… if you…" Champ stopped mid-sentence, catching movement out of the corner of his eye.

Nicole got to the doorway of the living room, quickly interjecting, "Oh, Champ, I'm so sorry. Was that in your way this morning? That's mine… I should have been more careful about where I parked it." She chanced a glance at Waverly, noticing the corners of her lips turning upward.

Waverly silently thanked Nicole-both for putting her pants back on, and for coming in through the living room.

"Oh… ummm… no, no, that's fine. It wasn't in my way… I just…" Champ started laughing as he turned towards Waverly. "Jesus, Waves, I thought you had some guy in here… I was about to…"

"About to what, Champ?" Waverly snapped.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," he said, shaking his head and chuckling to himself. He took a few strides towards Waverly, wrapping his arms around her, locking her arms straight down against her sides, as he planted several heavy kisses on her head. "Oh, good," he said. "You made me some coffee."

He grabbed a mug and poured himself a coffee, silence otherwise falling around the room.

"This is great," he said, taking a sip. "Just like you always make it!" He winked at her and then moved to the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Nicole and Waverly's eyes snapped back to each other immediately after Champ left the room, each searching the other's for something specific.

Nicole was looking to make sure Waverly was okay; make sure she hadn't lost whatever had passed between them earlier.

Waverly was looking for the same things, and she was looking to see if there was any indication that Nicole was going to run. She really wanted her to stay a bit longer, despite Champ's unwelcome presence.

What they each saw was their own eyes, reflected back to them. They both immediately knew that their thoughts mirrored each other's, still in passion for the other, and disdain and annoyance at Champ's arrival.

"So…" Nicole said, barely above a whisper. "You gonna pour me a coffee, or do I have to help myself?" She grinned.

Waverly smiled back, moving towards her coffee pot, and grabbing a mug.

"How do you take it? Cream? Sugar?"

"Well…" Nicole thought to herself, and smiled, "I usually take it black, but I'm kind of craving some sugar right now, so I'd love a little bit."

Nicole saw the grin crawl onto Waverly's face, and she knew the innuendo wasn't lost on the younger girl.

Waverly slowly filled a coffee mug, and then sauntered over to Nicole, taking her time. Waverly took a huge breath inward, recognizing that she was approaching a changing conversation, and that she had control of the situation. She stood there for a moment with Nicole's mug in her hand, unsure of the steps she should take.

"Well, Officer _HOT_ , I'm all out of sugar… for now."

Waverly saw the signs of disappointment on Nicole's face. As she and Nicole's hands brushed together, and the mug of coffee changed hands, Waverly got Nicole's attention.

"Just…" Waverly's voice dropped to a complete whisper, "Please…" they locked eyes, "Wait for me. Please." Waverly begged.


	5. Chapter 5

Nicole's pen tapped rapidly on the desk, as it had all morning. She again looked down at the latest report she'd been given, still unable to comprehend even the first sentence, even though she'd been staring at it for a half hour. Despite her best efforts, she was having trouble focusing at work all week.

"Haught. Haught? Earth to Haught…"

Nicole snapped her head over, catching Agent Dolls' eyes as he leaned across the counter of the Purgatory Sheriff Department's main office.

"Oh, hey, Dolls. Sorry… what can I do for ya?" Nicole shook her head, trying to shake out the thoughts of Waverly that had her so preoccupied as she stood up and approached the agent.

"Sorry to interrupt your daydream, Haught, but I'm looking for Wynonna. Have you seen her?"

"No, no, you weren't interrupting anything. But, no, I haven't seen her yet today. Did you check the parking lot for her bike?"

"Good call. Thanks," he said, as he turned around.

"No problem! You're welcome…" Nicole mumbled to herself, Dolls already out the door and out of earshot.

Nicole shook her head and sat down back at her desk, snatching up the report, determined to get her focus back. But just like every other day this week, her determination waned and she found her mind wandering back to Waverly Earp. Since their conversation at the homestead on Monday morning, they had hardly seen each other. They'd passed each other in the halls of the municipal building, but they were both always working and surrounded by other people, so little was said beyond pleasantries and a few stolen glances. They had also texted each other periodically, but it was always light and insignificant, other than the understanding that they were thinking about the other.

Nicole looked down at her phone. It had been 32 hours since she'd last gotten a text from Waverly— _not that she was counting_ —and she hadn't seen her all day. Of course, she ultimately found herself replaying her conversation with Waverly from Monday morning—the last real conversation they'd had.

 _"Just… Please… Wait for me. Please." Waverly was pleading with Nicole, eyes open and vulnerable._

 _Nicole had paused, thinking carefully before responding._

 _"Well, Waverly… Usually when I see something I like, I don't want to wait…" Waverly had looked down at her toes, hands withdrawing from the coffee mug they had both been holding, and she let out a soft "Oh…."_

 _Nicole placed one finger under Waverly's chin, tilting her face upwards and forcing Waverly to look at her. Reluctantly, Waverly opened her eyes, focusing them on Nicole's next words, "But then again, when something is truly worth it, I don't mind it so much," and she smiled at Waverly in a way she hoped conveyed her sincerity._

 _Waverly exhaled and smiled wide, nodding, and looking back down._

 _"So," she smiled up at Nicole, "…can I still make you some breakfast?" Nicole opened her mouth to accept the invitation, but was interrupted by a loud thud and a string of expletives from Champ in the bedroom._

 _Waverly closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, visibly upset at Champ's tendency to interrupt. "What was that, Champ?" she called to the bedroom._

 _"Ugh, fuck! God damnit. I'm fine, Waves, don't worry about it. Just stubbed my toes on this fucking bed frame again."_

 _Waverly rolled her eyes so hard, Nicole couldn't help but chuckle._

 _"As much as I'd like to, Waverly, I think it's best if I go ahead and get home. But…" she was quick to add, "I'm hoping I can take you up on that breakfast offer another time?"_

 _"I'd really like that, definitely, Nicole," she hesitated and thought to herself for a moment, before looking over her shoulder at the bedroom. Seeing the door still firmly closed, she took two steps forward, closing the gap between the two of them, and gently kissing Nicole's left cheek, "I promise."_

 _Nicole's eyes had closed, involuntarily, and she held her breath until she was sure Waverly had stepped back and put a respectable distance between the two of them. When she did open her eyes, they were met with a mischievous sparkle in Waverly's, and neither of them could contain full, unabashed grins._

 _"Well all right, then, Miss Earp. I'll be impatiently waiting."_

Nicole was brought back into the present day by the sound of Sheriff Nedley shuffling out of his office.

"Officer Haught, I'm heading to Shorty's for lunch. You're coming with me."

"Oh? I am? Since when?"

"Since now. Don't think I haven't noticed this funk you've been in all week. I'm determined to shake it out of you, so let's go. Plus, lunch there is buy-one get-one-free on Thursdays, so you won't cost me anything more." He chuckled at himself as his affixed his Stetson to his head and pulled his keys out of his pocket.

"Well, alright. If you insist."

"I do."

As Nicole unbuckled herself from the Sheriff's patrol car in the Shorty's parking lot, her stomach started doing flips. She knew Waverly was working today, and she knew Nedley preferred to sit at the bar. There was going to be no avoiding Waverly, not that Nicole really wanted to. She subconsciously adjusted her Stetson and her belt buckle, and licked her lips as she followed Nedley through the front door. The second the door opened, she heard the honey-sweet sound of Waverly's voice.

"Afternoon, Sheriff! I was about to pull the alarm—you're four minutes late for lunch!"

Nicole could hear the smile in Waverly's words, even before she laid eyes on the lips that were speaking them. But she most certainly _saw_ the surprise and genuine glee cross over Waverly's features when she saw Nicole cross the threshold into the bar behind Nedley.

Nicole was so relieved. She was worried Waverly wouldn't want to see her, but that clearly was not the case.

"Off-Officer Haught… I'm surprised to see you here during the middle of the day. Normally the Sheriff rides solo," she smiled wide and locked eyes with Nicole as she greeted her.

"Fancy that," Nicole said, with a smile that mirrored the one shining at her.

"This one's been in a pissy mood all week. I'm hoping a 'working lunch' will shake loose whatever crawled up her ass over the weekend," Nedley offered.

Nicole looked down, a bit bashful, but thoroughly aware that Waverly would put the pieces together.

"Oh, is that so?" Waverly asked Nicole, directly, with concern.

"Naw, he's just overreacting," Nicole replied. "Not used to having a woman around that does more than giggle."

Nedley grunted before letting out a slow, brief, laugh. "You're not wrong, Haught, but you still can't tell me that you haven't been in the dumps and distracted all week."

Nicole couldn't look at Waverly—she didn't want to give anything away, and she certainly didn't want to make Waverly feel bad about anything. She needed to deflect.

"Awww, shucks, Sheriff. I didn't know you cared so much," she said, jokingly punching him in the shoulder. She caught Waverly's worried eye, then, and winked.

Waverly, of course, immediately blushed and gasped slightly, turning around to wipe the bar with her back to the two officers.

Within a few minutes, Waverly had already presented Nedley and Nicole with two beers, Waverly immensely familiar with what Nedley meant by a "working lunch." So she left them alone with their menus while she let that conversation turn around in her head.

 _"Nicole has been distracted and upset at work all week—all week since… since I told her to wait for me,"_ Waverly distressed over Sheriff Nedley's words. She knew she had been—at times—avoiding Nicole. Because she didn't have anything new for her, she didn't have anything new to offer her, and she didn't know if she could be around her the way she wanted to yet. She still needed her space to fully appreciate her feelings and what they meant… and what they meant she needed to do. But she also was thinking of Nicole. She knew how Nicole felt about her. It was impossible to be on the receiving end of the looks and smiles and touches she got from Nicole and not understand that, and she didn't want to put Nicole in a difficult situation until she was sure she was ready—in every way that entailed—to appreciate and reciprocate the feelings Nicole had to offer.

So now, Waverly knew Nicole was likely distressing and worrying over their last conversation, and she hated what she was doing to her.

"Waverly? Can we order, dear?" Nedley's voice brought her back to reality.

"Of course, Sheriff! What can I getcha today?" she tried to be as bright and bubbly as she could, despite knowing what she was doing to Nicole.

"I'll do the Black and Bleu Burger, medium, with fries, please ma'am," Nedley rattled off.

"Surprise, surprise! I would have never guessed," Waverly jested, given that was Nedley's lunch order at least three times per week. "And for you, Officer Haught?" Waverly asked, purposely putting as much lightness in her voice as possible, and making a concerted effort to make eye contact with Nicole.

Nicole looked up, acknowledging and appreciating Waverly's efforts, "I believe I'll have the Southwest Chicken wrap, ma'am."

"You have good taste," Waverly winked.

"I definitely think so," Nicole smiled, "Oh, and maple sweet potato fries, please. I've been craving some sugar for a while now," Nicole intentionally harkened back to their conversation, hoping Waverly would pick up the cue.

Waverly, to her credit, blushed briefly, instantly registering the reference, but didn't otherwise flinch. Instead, she smiled and nodded, turned to input their order, and then disappeared in the back, to Nicole's dismay.

A few seconds later, Nicole's phone buzzed on the bar, vibrating to signal a text message. She looked around, and saw no Waverly in sight, and cautiously turned over her phone, making sure the screen wasn't in Sheriff Nedley's view, just in case.

 **W:** **I'm trying not to be presumptuous here, but I really hope your distressed week isn't because of me?**

Nicole thought for a moment, before responding.

 **N: I told you I hate waiting. ;)**

 **N: In all seriousness, I promise I'm good. You're just a distracting woman, Waverly Earp.**

A few moments were filled with Sheriff Nedley talking about some sort of report that he thinks they focus too much on as a department, and should phase out over time or limit its uses or something of that nature. Nicole really wasn't listening to him. She was too focused on the three moving dots on her conversation with Waverly. Until the response finally came through.

 **W: Well, IDK if this will make you feel better or worse, but I've overflowed four beers this week and dropped two lunch plates and a bus tray. So you aren't the only one distracted. ;)**

 **W: It'd be funny if Gus weren't at her wit's end about my "waste" this week!**

Nicole snorted, laughing, and then glanced up, seeing Waverly step out from the back kitchen with two dishes in her hands as she approached the two of them, stoic look on her face.

"Black and Bleu Burger with fries for you Sheriff, and a Southwest Chicken Wrap with maple sweet potatoes, for you, Officer. Oh, and I had the chef give you an extra side of maple syrup. Since you've been craving that sugar… I'd hate to leave you wanting for too long."

Nicole's heart started racing as her smile grew, looking back at the proud, triumphant look Waverly was giving her.

"Why thank you, Miss Earp. That sure is kind of you to think of me like that."

Waverly simply nodded, picked up a few empty plates from nearby diners and then disappeared into the back while Nicole and Nedley dug into their meals. A few moments later, Nicole's phone vibrated again.

 **W: That's not the only way I've been thinking of you.**

Nicole almost choked on her wrap as she read Waverly's text, and immediately set the phone face down, knowing that Sheriff Nedley could never see that message.

A minute or two later, Waverly again emerged from the back, avoiding eye contact with the two officers and instead making the rounds to all of the patrons at tables, bussing dishes and taking new drink orders.

Near the end of Nicole's meal, Waverly finally ended up behind the bar again, pulling a few beers and pouring shots for the resident alcoholics in the bar. Nicole's eyes tracked her the entire time, watching her flow from task to task, effortlessly. Waverly looked so comfortable behind the bar at Shorty's, and it reminded Nicole of part of their drunken conversation Sunday night, when Waverly begrudgingly told Nicole she had worked at Shorty's for almost four years.

 _"I've been there for almost half a decade. I feel like I started as a favor to Gus and Shorty when I was in high school because they needed a little bit of help, and now I practically run the place, and I'm never going to break free. I can't ditch them. They raised me… I can't quit. I'm just stuck."_ She had said.

Nicole sighed, thinking about all the ways she wanted to pull Waverly from the life she'd been stuck in for years.

Nicole's meal ended uneventfully, Waverly simply swinging by twice near the end to grab Nedley's credit card and then return the slips to sign. Their eye contact was again fleeting, and Nicole make a conscious effort to not make things more awkward than they had to be. As the two of them left, she whipped out her phone to shoot off one ill-advised text.

 **N: Thanks for a great lunch—you're so good at what you do. Can't wait to see you find what comes when you break free of Shorty's.**

Nicole was more than aware of what her text was implying—a future. A future seeing Waverly take on a life beyond bartending. But, given Waverly's forward texts from earlier, she believed it was okay.

But then… Nicole didn't hear anything from Waverly. She got no response, all day. And the younger woman definitely never came back by the police station. Nicole started second guessing her last text, and wondering if she should send something else, but she ultimately decided against it.

Hours later, as the clock approached 6:30, Wynonna peeked her head into the police station lobby from the hall. Nicole gave her a questioning look, but was far too familiar with Wynonna's shenanigans to really question her.

"Is Dolls in here?" she finally whisper-shouted to Nicole.

"No ma'am… it's just me. Haven't seen Dolls since this morning." Nicole thought a moment, "Actually, last I saw him he was looking for you. Been avoiding your boss, eh?"

Wynonna rolled her eyes and she sauntered into the lobby. "He was mad I was so late this morning. I told him I was in _no shape_ to be seen in public, much less wielding a gun, but he just lectured me on responsibility and reliability and I tuned him out. Nothing exacerbates a hangover like a nag." She snorted.

"I see," Nicole said, simply, taking in the older Earp more fully, having a new appreciation for her and what she and Waverly had been through, after all Waverly had shared on Sunday.

"Well, I actually came in here to invite you out tonight with me and Dolls and Doc? Shorty's, 9:00pm."

"Aren't you avoiding Dolls for being hungover from last night? Now you're going drinking with him tonight?" Nicole asked, with a laugh.

"Yeah, well, his scolding was only half-hearted. And I'm avoiding him now because he wanted me to finish something before I leave, but he's already agreed to go out tonight. He probably thinks he'll be able to slow me down. Hah." Wynonna laughed to herself.

"Alright… well yeah, that sounds fun," Nicole said, excitedly. A social night out with friends sounded like the exact thing she needed. "Thanks for the invite!"

"Sure thing, Haught-Stuff. I know you play for a different team, but I could still use some extra estrogen to balance out those two meatheads. You're one of the only ladies I know who can hold their own around them."

"What about Waverly?" Nicole asked, trying to not seem too interested.

"Good question. I called texted her earlier, and after waiting a very patient twenty minutes and getting no reply, I called Shorty's. Gus said she asked for the rest of the day off and took off right after the lunch rush. Who knows what she's getting into. Probably heard about some new Latin book that just came in at the library two towns over." Wynonna rolled her eyes, smiling, to show that she really loved her younger sister.

"Oh, okay…" Nicole said in response, mind churning. " _I sent her running from her actual job. Way to go, Haught,_ " she thought to herself, stomach sinking to her toes

When Nicole looked up, she realized Wynonna was giving her an odd look, wondering where her head had just gone. Nicole tried to brush it off, and just said, "Okay, yeah, so I'll see you around 9 tonight!"

"Alright, Haught…" Wynonna said, dripping with skepticism as she slinked down the hallway and back towards the Black Badge Lair, as they so affectionately had begun calling it.

Nicole sat back, and looked up at the clock. It was almost seven, so she figured she should head home to change and eat dinner before meeting up with Wynonna and the guys later. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she had butterflies in her stomach, and was tangibly nervous. She had never _really_ hung out with Wynonna and Doc and Dolls. Of course, she had spent time with them, but not intentionally at a social setting—not like they would tonight.

She tried to silence her mind on the drive home and focus on being able to have fun that night, but she of course, kept thinking of Waverly and their flirty, odd lunch.

As Nicole pulled into the Shorty's parking lot later that evening, the clock read 9:18. Her shower and dinner at home had done little to calm her nerves or anxiety over the night ahead of her, or the uncertainty surrounding her and Waverly. If there even is a "her and Waverly" to be anxious about.

She stepped out of her truck, glancing at her reflection in the side mirror and adjusting her jacket. She glanced down to give herself a once-over, finding contentment that she looked as good as she could. She had knee-high, copper brown leather boots on, over dark jeans, with a light gray t-shirt and a leather jacket that matched the boots. She straightened her hair and wore faint eyeliner and clear lipgloss—the most make-up she ever generally wears. She tugged on the bottom of the jacket one more time and walked towards the heavy door of the bar, opening it and taking a moment or two for her eyes to adjust to the slightly smoky, darkness of the bar. She looked around for a few moments before she heard "OFFICER HAUGHT-STUFF!" from the back right corner, and noticed Wynonna standing up, waving both hands up in the air with a crazy grin on her face, as if Nicole wouldn't have found them at that point.

Nicole laughed, and made her way across the bar to the trio at the corner, round booth.

"Hey y'all, sorry I'm a bit late."

"Oh, now, honey, I don't reckon I've ever been upset with a beautiful woman for making a grand entrance," Doc drawled.

Nicole couldn't help but laugh as Wynonna hit him in the chest.

"I said no creepiness, Doc!" Wynonna growled at him.

"Naw, Wynonna, it's alright. A girl could do worse than to be objectified by Doc, here," Nicole replied, winking at Doc.

"See, now that's why I like you, Haught-Stuff. You really can handle these two yokels," Wynonna patted the booth seat next to her, indicating Nicole should sit next to her. Dolls rolled his eyes, welcoming Nicole with a wide smile and a nod.

Nicole slid in as Wynonna poured a new beer from the pitcher in the middle of the table and slid it over to her.

The conversation amongst the group was light and easy, mainly consisting of Doc telling hilarious stories and Wynonna mocking Doc, Dolls, and others in the bar, too. Nicole spent most of the time laughing at the others, occasionally offering up a sarcastic jab or a follow-up question or two. The drinks went down easy, and the four of them blew through a couple rounds of shots and a few pitchers.

After almost two hours, as the clock drew closer to midnight, the soft chatter amongst the group was waning. That is, until Wynonna pierced the ambiance of the room with a drunkenly, excited, "Baby girl! You came!"

All heads in the room, Nicole's included, turned abruptly to the door, where Waverly Earp was failing to slink into Shorty's, unnoticed.

Thanks to Wynonna's outburst, virtually the entire bar—all familiar with Waverly's 'smile and wave' from behind the bar—were hootin' and hollerin' at her, offering low whistles and catcalls amidst the more modest nods and 'Hey Wave!'s from the regulars.

Notably, Nicole stayed silent, unsure of how to greet Waverly. Apparently she wasn't the only one.

"Oh! Nicole!" Waverly said, visibly surprised as she reached their table.

"Hey, Waverly," Nicole responded, slightly uncertain.

"I… I didn't know you were going to be here," Waverly paused. She looked to Wynonna, meaningfully, "Wynonna invited me to join for 'drinks with the guys,'" she finished, sighing and shaking her head with a smile, looking at Nicole apologetically.

Nicole chuckled, breaking eye contact with Waverly to glare at Wynonna. Wynonna shrugged, and Nicole redirected her gaze back to Waverly.

"You'd think the boobs would give me away," Nicole said, offering an exaggerated shrug.

Doc and Dolls both audibly laughed, and Waverly sputtered, trying to avert her eyes from Nicole, "Yeah, you'd think…"

Nicole grinned, having caught Waverly staring at her chest after her statement. Nicole and Wynonna both raised an eyebrow at Waverly… almost as if they had coordinated it.

"What?! As if any of you are going to disagree with her statement?" she said, defensively.

All occupants of the table averted their eyes, shamed and willing to drop the topic.

Waverly winked at Nicole after everyone looked away. Nicole rolled her eyes at Waverly and blushed.

Quickly, Nicole realized that Waverly needed room to sit, and she waved everyone to scoot over, offering Waverly the edge seat of the round booth, conveniently next to her. She internally smiled and warmed as Waverly sat down, side flush to the officer.

"Wait a second—you're not slinking out of this, Waverly. Where have you been all day?" Wynonna asked.

Waverly calmly reached for the pitcher, "None of your business," she said, pouring herself a beer.

Wynonna snorted and started to ask a follow-up question, but the glare from the younger Earp cut her off, promptly.

A bit of innocuous conversation passed until Wynonna turned her gaze to Nicole, bluntly asking, "What about you, Haught-y? Got any ladies in your life I should be vetting?"

There was a curious pause, where both Nicole and Waverly caught their breath. Nicole ultimately spoke, as quickly as she could.

"None you need to vet," Nicole paused, fighting off a smile, "… just one I'm waiting on. Luckily, I'm patient."

Wynonna grunted and immediately started asking follow-up questions, determined to crack the code.

Nicole deflected each question artfully, ultimately frustrating Wynonna into an irritated silence. Dolls and Doc stared on in awe, thoroughly impressed with Nicole's ability to side-step Wynonna's antics.

"I do believe I may have underestimated you, Ms. Haught," Doc said, offering Nicole a 'cheers' gesture and a tip of his head. Nicole laughed. Wynonna kept pouting.

"Okay, fine, Dolls—you're up," Wynonna finally said. "You need a wing-woman or you already got an old lady at home?"

The look on Dolls' face made clear he would not be entertaining Wynonna's questions, and Wynonna threw her hands up, feigning a stick-up.

"Fine, fine, fine. You are all terrible friends for not sharing with me," she huffed.

"Well what about you, Wynonna?" Nicole asked. "Or Docs—you got any news to spill?"

Waverly and Dolls both immediately began stifling laughter, knowing about the heretofore unspoken "arrangement" between Doc and Wynonna. Nicole—to her credit—was not trying to put them on the spot. She genuinely had no idea.

Wynonna and Doc both went ghost-white and fell totally silent, making awkward eye-contact with the other, trying to figure out a way out of the situation. Mercifully, Waverly took control of the situation.

"How about we all quit prying into each other's lives, and play a game instead?"

You could _hear_ Wynonna exhale, relieved that her little sister had pulled her from the inevitable embarrassment. Nicole, though, was still clueless and trying to figure out what had just happened.

While Dolls and Wynonna began arguing over what game was best for five people, Nicole glanced at Waverly, hoping for an explanation. Waverly reached over, hand running Nicole's thigh as the smaller girl leaned over to whisper in her ear. Nicole froze, eyes darting to the soft hand on her leg, light blue nail polish sparkling. She closed her eyes when she felt Waverly's warm breath against her ear and her neck, a whisper of words anchoring her.

"Wynonna and Doc… are kind of… involved…" she said, softly. She squeezed Nicole's thigh, silently asking her to look at her. "With each other—but they think no one knows."

Nicole swallowed, nodding almost imperceptibly, not daring to break the fresh eye contact with Waverly. They stared at one another for what was likely an inappropriate amount of time, Waverly's thumb gently stroking the outside of Nicole's thigh, Nicole barely blinking. Finally, Wynonna broke them from their reverie with a brash, "Earth to Waves!" and the slam of an empty shot glass on the wooden table.

"Oh… yeah?" she breaks off eye contact with Nicole and turns her attention to her sister.

"I asked if you had a deck of cards in your old loft upstairs? I want to play a little poker?"

"Ummm… Yeah, I think I probably do. I'll go see."

All too quickly, Waverly gave Nicole's leg a light squeeze before pulling her hand back and moving from the booth towards the stairs. Nicole, trying to maintain her composure, took the opportunity to have a moment to herself.

"I'll go get us another round, yeah?"

"I knew I liked you," Wynonna winked at Nicole.

Nicole jokingly saluted towards Wynonna and then headed towards the bar. She found an opening between two sweaty older men, both of whom didn't hesitate to express their appreciation for Nicole when they saw her. She easily brushed them all off, waiting for Gus to come over to take her order.

After a moment or two, Nicole caught Gus's eye, and Gus gave her a huge smile.

"What can I get for ya, Officer?"

Nicole laughed. "Please, Gus, I'm out of uniform tonight. It's Nicole."

"Well alright, then, Nicole. I see you're here with my girls and Wynonna's two lap dogs. So lemme guess… a pitcher of cheap beer and a round of shots of good whiskey?"

"You sure do know Wynonna," Nicole said, laughing. "But I suppose you should, given how long you've looked after her."

Gus nodded and smiled, setting a full pitcher on a drink tray in the middle of a series of full shot glasses. Nicole pulled out her wallet and started counting out cash.

"Nicole, dear, these are on the house. But don't tell Wynonna, though. I never give her anything. She takes enough without me looking and when that sister of hers is working."

Nicole started to insist, but the look on Gus's face told her it would be futile, so she didn't try.

"Well thanks, Gus. I really appreciate it," she said, as she left a ten and a five as a tip before she turned back around. She heard Gus start to protest, but Nicole pretended she couldn't hear her.

By the time Nicole got back to the table, Wynonna was shuffling a deck of cards, and Waverly had scooted further into the booth, taking Nicole's prior spot. Nicole slid in, smoothly passing out the shots before pouring beers to everyone. Not surprisingly, Wynonna and Doc were bickering about whether she had sufficiently shuffled the cards after Doc was dealt a 7-2 on his first hand, to Wynonna's pair of Jacks. Dolls just chuckled between them.

As Nicole finished pouring the last beer, she realized Waverly was watching her.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" she asked, with a smile on her face, but not making eye contact.

"Looks like you already are," Waverly responded, taking the full beer from Nicole's hand—making sure to brush her fingers during the exchange—and taking a sip.

"You're just a really good person, ya know?" Waverly said, thoughtfully, to Nicole. She glanced to the others at the table, making sure they didn't overhear. They were fully engaged in the heads-up poker battle between Wynonna and Doc.

"You think so?" Nicole asked, inquisitively.

"I know so…" Waverly responded, her hand subtly finding Nicole's thigh again as a flirty smile and twinkle in her eye crossed her face. "Even now, you're just taking care of everyone, filling all our cups, making sure no one else has to do it for themselves."

Nicole was blushing, and bowing her head, avoiding eye contact with Waverly. Tonight was getting to be too much for her. She had told Waverly she would wait—and boy, would she—but she couldn't keep doing this in the mean time. She couldn't so openly and unreservedly flirt and be flirted with when she knew it was wrong. Her heart and her mind couldn't handle it. She needed to silence them.

Nicole cleared a frog she didn't even know was in her throat, and then looked around the bar—seeking any solace from the roaming fingers on her leg, or the smoldering look she could feel from Waverly.

"Do you play pool?" she asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

Waverly's confident smirk dropped, but she maintained her gaze on Nicole. "Of course… I work in a bar… in Purgatory," she laughed. "Of course I play pool."

Before Waverly could comment further, Nicole had leapt from the booth, striding to the pool table in four quick steps, and reaching for the rack to set up a game.

Waverly looked at Wynonna and shrugged when Wynonna gave her a questioning look.

She pulled herself from the booth seat and followed Nicole to the pool table, watching her meticulously rack the balls and then chalk the tip of a pool cue. Nicole gestured towards the wall of cues for Waverly to pick one, but Waverly just motioned for Nicole to go ahead and break, taking the first shot.

Nicole nodded, offering a powerful break that pocketed two solid balls.

"Well, I guess we know what you'll be going for," Waverly offered, trying to lighten the mood. Nicole simply smiled and nodded, moving into position for her next shot.

Waverly exhaled to herself, growing concerned about Nicole's sudden distance. _"Did I do something? Why is she acting like this?"_

The two girls traded shots a few more times, neither having any success with their shots. Waverly kept watching Nicole, trying to catch her eye, to no avail. And after a few moments, Waverly moved around the pool table, trying to physically close the distance that had grown between them in such a short time. Nicole continued to ignore her.

"Did I do something?" Waverly finally blurted out when Nicole still looked away after missing a shot and diverting the turn to Waverly.

Nicole's head jerked up, looking fully at Waverly for the first time since their game had started.

"What? No…" Nicole shook her head repeatedly. "No, no, what makes you think that? No…"

Waverly shrugged, "You just… disappeared on me. I… I mean, we were talking and laughing and… I was having _fun_ _,_ " Waverly emphasized, "… and then you just… ghosted. And now you won't even look at me."

The two girls had gotten closer and closer to one another as Waverly spoke, Nicole's resolve dissolving as she saw the distress on Waverly's face and heard it in her voice.

Only a few feet separated the two, each casually playing with their pool cues and avoiding eye contact. Finally Nicole gathered some courage and reached out, gently touching Waverly's shoulder to get her attention without looking too obvious.

"Waves, I… I'm sorry. I'm not trying to _ghost_ on you. I just… you asked me to wait on you, and even though we haven't really talked about exactly what that means… I'm hoping I really understand here, and I'm trying to be patient, but then you…" Waverly looked enthralled by what Nicole was saying, hanging on every word. It takes Nicole's breath away as she falls deeper into Waverly's gaze.

"I what, Nicole?"

"You…" she sighed, deeply, "… you look at me like that. And I'm just not sure I'm a strong enough woman to compose myself and wait—like you've asked—when you're touching my leg like you were and looking me like that."

Waverly nodded and took a small step closer to Nicole. She glanced around the bar, confirming that everyone—especially her sister—was too engrossed in their own conversations to notice the girls' proximity to each other.

"How am I looking at you, Nicole?" Waverly asked, low and intentionally, confidently maintaining eye contact with Nicole.

Nicole thought for a brief moment, a smile growing on her face. "Like Chloe looks at Beca in _Pitch Perfect_."

Waverly couldn't contain the laugh that tumbled from her lips, nodding her understanding.

"Well…" Waverly said, "… if I'm not mistaken, you're looking at me like that, too?"

"I don't think I've ever looked at you any other way," Nicole said, unequivocally.

Waverly gasped, slightly, at Nicole's admission, not expecting her to be so forthcoming.

"You do remember what you said about that, right? What you said about any woman you'd looked at like that?"

Nicole understood what Waverly was asking, and refused to allow her to break eye contact and look away, as Waverly was clearly trying to do. She mimicked her action from Monday morning, and placed a single finger under Waverly's chin, lifting her face to Nicole's so she could get her point across, clearly.

"I remember it perfectly—' _I don't think I've ever looked at a woman that way if I wasn't completely into her._ '" Nicole repeated, vividly remembering their conversation on Waverly's couch. There was a pause. "And?" Nicole asked, gently, but firmly trying to get a point across and intently keeping eye contact.

Waverly smiled, briefly, before turning away. "Just making sure," she said with a shrug, looking back toward the table.

Waverly lifted her pool cue and started lining up her next shot, well-aware that Nicole was still looking at her, a little dazed, but also a little still in surprised adoration.

"Oh, by the way?" Waverly asked, visual attention still focused on the cue ball.

"Yeah?" Nicole asks.

"Earlier today? When I went kind of MIA?" Waverly pulled her stick back, striking the cue ball firmly and sending the striped blue into a side pocket. She confidently brought the base of the stick to the ground, fully turning toward Nicole, who stared at her, curious and intent, with a questioning look.

"I was breaking up with Champ."


	6. Chapter 6

I'm so sorry this update took so long! I started to keep going with this chapter, but wanted to get something posted. I hope to have the next chapter posted within the week! Hope you enjoy it.

* * *

"I broke up with Champ, Nicole."

"Yeah, no… I heard you… I just…" her voice faded.

"You _just_ haven't said anything…" Waverly's voice wavered, slightly, as she dropped her head.

"Waverly, look at me," Nicole responded, realizing she needed to reassure Waverly. She stretched her right foot out, tapping the side of Waverly's foot to get her attention. Waverly finally looked back up to Nicole and was met with the taller girl's soft, kind smile that stretched to her eyes. Her heart raced, waiting for Nicole to speak.

"I have to be honest… I don't really know what to say here." Nicole paused, and took a breath, never breaking eye contact. "You caught me off-guard, Wave. Obviously, I'm excited about what I hope that means, but… I mean, are you okay? I know you were with him for years... Celebrating your break-up doesn't really seem right." She looked at Waverly with tenderness and worry.

Waverly melted on the spot at Nicole's thoughtfulness, and was immediately drawn to close the gap remaining between the two of them, slipping her free hand hand into Nicole's, giving it a light squeeze.

"Thank you, Nicole," she said softly. "But I promise you, I'm okay."

Nicole nodded and ducked her head, trying to hide how much Waverly's hand in hers was affecting her.

"Actually, that's not true," Waverly said, suddenly.

"Oh?" Nicole asked, lifting her chin again.

"I'm not okay… I mean," she quickly corrected, "I'm not _just_ okay. I'm good… I'm really, really good." And Waverly squeezed Nicole's hand again, stroking the back of it with her thumb as the lines around her eyes became prominent with her impossibly wide growing grin.

Nicole blushed and squeezed back, stomach flipping and hands tingling at the way Waverly was looking at her.

"Baby girl!" Wynonna hollered from the table.

Nicole and Waverly awkwardly hopped back from each other, Nicole silently thankful that the height of the pool table hid their intertwined hands from their table.

"Yeah, Wy?" Waverly said, voice tinged with annoyance.

"Are y'all still playing that same game of pool? Get back over here."

Waverly looked back to Nicole, shrugging, and they re-racked their pool cues and went back to the booth. Waverly scooted in first, Nicole, close after, tucking into the seat to Waverly's left.

"What is it, Wynonna?" Nicole asked.

"We're playing a new game and we needed more players."

"Okay…" Nicole said, watching on, expectantly.

"Never Have I Ever." Wynonna said, shit-eating grin on her face.

Nicole immediately groaned and rolled her eyes, "No way, Wynonna… I don't…"

"Sounds fun to me!" Waverly cut in, turning to Nicole with an eyebrow raised, in challenge.

Nicole glared at her briefly, and then laughed, shaking her head.

"What?" Waverly said, directed only to Nicole.

"I just hate games like this…" Nicole said, softly, smile still plastered to her face.

"Well…" Waverly said, hand slyly brushing over Nicole's knee and up the inside of her thigh… "I think it might be fun," Waverly winked.

The blood drained out of Nicole's face and she zeroed in on Waverly's hand on her leg for an embarrassing amount of time. Finally, Waverly coughed slightly, tapping Nicole's knee with her thumb.

Nicole rolled her eyes and covered Waverly's hand on her leg with her own, looking at Wynonna. "Alright, count me in," she sighed.

"Hells yeah!" Wynonna said, fist pumping.

* * *

"Okay… so, never have I ever… gotten a traffic ticket," Dolls said, confidently.

The other four groaned at the lame turn in their game as they took chugs of their respective drinks. Wynonna—of course—couldn't let it slide.

"Dolls, good lord, you are boring as FUCK…. You've never even gotten a speeding ticket?! I mean, I don't know why I'm surprised, you cringe when I use a piece of Black Badge stationary to make my shopping list for the liquor store, but I mean… COME ON. Be slightly more interesting for this game, PLEASE?!"

Nicole, Waverly, and Docs all chuckled to themselves while Dolls simply shrugged. Wynonna flailed a bit longer until the turn finally moved on to Waverly.

"Never have I ever… smoked pot?" Waverly said, sheepishly.

Wynonna and Doc both laughed out loud, taking long, deliberate chugs from their beers. But, of course, the real surprise came when Nicole slowly, but surely took a sip of her beer, sly grin firmly plastered on her face.

"Nicole!" Waverly said, giggling.

"What?" Nicole said, laughing and pseudo-casually running her fingers across the back of Waverly's hand, still resting on her thigh. Nicole looked around the rest of the table, looking for support of her obvious admission. "Is that really a big deal?" Nicole asked, laughing.

"Well I sure as hell am not gonna be thinking of you as such a goody-two-shoes anymore, but no ma'am… that just means you're a normal human being, Nicole!" Wynonna stated. She raised a hand to Nicole, gesturing for a high five. Knowing a high five with her left hand would be awkward, she reluctantly pulled her hand from the back of Waverly's, leaned across the table and high-fived Wynonna.

"Thanks, I guess?" she said to Wynonna, chuckling.

Nicole smugly took another sip of her beer, as Waverly looked on, somewhat in awe.

"Well, I learn something new about you every day, Officer Haught," Waverly said, slightly under her breath towards Nicole. Nicole winked, imperceptively to anyone except Waverly.

All eyes stayed trained on Nicole, waiting for her to take her turn, but Nicole was lost in Waverly's gaze and the shy, but seductive look being thrown her way. It took Doc—who was surprisingly in tune with what was taking place across the table from him—kicked Nicole's foot to jar her back to reality.

"Oh! Oh… is it my turn? It's my turn…" she said, clearly flustered. "Ummm…" she thought for a moment or two, trying to ignore Waverly's attempt to suppress her laughter at Nicole's expense.

"Okay," she finally said, swigging her beer, "Never have I ever been arrested."

All heads immediately turned to Wynonna who groaned and chugged the rest of her beer before putting her head on the table. "Low blow, Haught-stuff." Everyone else was laughing, until Waverly shyly took a sip of her own beer. Silence fell over the table, and everyone's eyes bugged out of their heads at Waverly.

"Well I do declare, Miss Earp. I did not have you pegged for someone who has spent time in the old calaboose! Do go on…"

"For REAL, baby girl! What the hell?" Wynonna exclaimed.

Waverly rolled her eyes and glared at Wynonna. "You really don't remember?"

"Remember?" Wynonna asked, confused.

"A few years ago… Gus's birthday… you picked a fight?" Waverly gawked at Wynonna, who stared back, blankly.

"Good gravy, Wynonna! You punched Champ in the face and then tackled him in the middle of Shorty's!"

"Ohhhhhhhhh…." Wynonna said, recognition flooding her face. Simultaneously, Waverly felt the muscles in Nicole's leg tense at the mention of Champ, and Waverly felt an immediate wave of guilt at bringing him up, again. But, gracefully, Nicole pushed through in the same conversation.

"Wait," she returned her hand to cover Waverly's on her thigh, reassuring her, "but how did that lead to YOU being arrested, Wave?"

"Because someone called Nedley, and I tried to break up the fight as they were rolling around on the floor and Wynonna tripped me. So I fell on top of the pile, and when Nedley got there, he was so frustrated, he didn't even ask any questions. Threw cuffs on all three of us and took us down to the Department. We all got booked, but later they let me go and slapped Wy and Champ with fines for disorderly conduct."

"See?!" Wynonna added, "No harm, no foul!" She looked smug.

"Tell that to Gus, Wynonna. She was so so so mad at us. Both of us. And I didn't even do anything!"

"Oh, yeauh…" Wynonna faded off. "Okay, I need more beer," as she shoved Doc and Dolls with her hip to push them out of the booth. She beelined for the bar while Doc took the opportunity to go out for a quick smoke and Dolls wandered off to the bathroom.

Left alone, Nicole gave Waverly's hand a squeeze, bringing her attention back to the red-head to her left.

"Talk about learnin' something new," Nicole said, quietly. "I didn't know I had a lawbreaker on my hands. Don't you know I'm an officer of the law?" She flashed her trademark, glowing smile, dimples on display, and Waverly's insides flipped and sent a chill down her chest. She thought for only a moment, before letting all the beer she'd drank do the talking.

"Well then I guess I found you just in time, huh? You'll have to set me straight." Waverly slowly slid her hand further up Nicole's thigh, away from her knee, never breaking eye contact. Nicole arched an eyebrow as her heart started racing and familiar warmth settled low in her stomach.

She leaned in, breathing for a moment on Waverly's neck as she felt Waverly's hand continue upward, and then whispered, "Call me crazy, but that roaming hand of yours tells me you want anything _but_ to be set _straight_."

Waverly's breath caught in her throat, her eyes involuntarily closed, and her hand stilled, fingertips digging slightly into Nicole's jeans.

Nicole leaned back, satisfied with the reaction she pulled from Waverly, and a smug grin on her face. Waverly finally opened her eyes, a spark in her eyes that Nicole had only seem fleeting glimmers of before but was unabashedly on steady display right now. And that spark, unmistakably, was pure lust and desire.

Nicole's throat went dry and all of her limbs turned to jelly, completely melting under Waverly's stare. Waverly moved in, lips parting slightly as if she had something to say, and Nicole's focus trained completely to those lips, hanging on every breath and sound coming from them.

But, of course, they were interrupted.

Wynonna plopped back down, right at that moment, forcing the two girls back apart. Wynonna slid back in next to Waverly as Doc and Dolls soon followed, bickering, as usual, about something the other two girls had less than no interest in. Wynonna seemed to be mediating, and so Nicole and Waverly's intense looks and flushed cheeks went unnoticed. Neither heard one word said from the others for several minutes. Rather, they surreptitiously brushed and grazed and intertwined their hands on Nicole's thigh, focusing on each other's faces and breaths and, in Nicole's case, the visible beating of Waverly's pulse under the fair skin on the side of her neck.

Quickly, though, they were brought out of the moment when Wynonna started making a big scene of the next turn being hers.

"You can say something you've done as long as you drink for it, right?" She asked, laughing. Everyone basically agreed, as Wynonna looked self-satisfied.

"Never have I ever had a sex dream about someone else at this table," she said, confidently looking towards Doc.

Everyone at the table knew that Wynonna's turn was directed to Doc, as Wynonna honed in her attention on him. Of course, a subtle hum vibrated across the table, as, one-by-one, Dolls, Waverly, and Nicole all also took a sip of their drink.

"Y'ALL DIRTY DOGS!" Wynonna yelled in surprise.

Everyone averted their eyes and tried to change the subject.

"No, no, no, no, no, Waverly… you're not getting off—I mean, bad choice of words—getting away with this so easily. Which one of these jokers are you dreaming about?!" She wagged her thumb between Doc and Dolls. "I can't have you fantasizing about my… friends…" Wynonna says, incredulous.

"Maybe you shouldn't ask questions you're not prepared to hear the answer for, Wy?" Waverly asked, voice surprisingly confident. Without halting her challenging stare towards Wynonna, she released her hand from under Nicole's grasp and lightly feathered her fingertips up and down the inseam of Nicole's jeans.

Nicole melted in place and let out a shaky breath. She was certain all the color had drained from her face, and she tried to will herself to act normal, but Waverly wasn't making it easy.

"Besides," Waverly continued, "I'm more interested in who this one is dreaming about." She nodded her head towards Nicole, drawing all the attention to her end of the table. Nicole looked at Waverly, whose attempt at keeping a straight face was failing with the curl of her lips.

"I…" Nicole's breath caught with a swirl of Waverly's index finger and a mischievous look in her eye. "I don't kiss and tell, even when it's confined to my dreams."

"Oh, how _honorable_ ," Waverly smirked.

"It's okay, Nicole…. I don't mind," Wynonna chirped from across the table. Both girls looked at her, curiously. "I mean, you're around my 'top shelf' ass all the time, it's only natural." Wynonna winked at Nicole and Waverly's jaw dropped. Nicole laughed, loud and full.

"That's it, Wynonna. You caught me. Glad you're so understanding." She laughed again. "I'll try to keep my hormones in check around you."

Wynonna nodded, seriously.

Nicole noticed Doc stifling laughter, and he nodded at her with a quick, subtle glance at Waverly. Nicole blushed and quietly pulled Waverly's hand between both of hers in her lap. Intertwining their fingers and brushing her thumb lightly across her soft palm.

The conversation veered off track again, and the game faded, forgotten in the commotion that followed Wynonna's last question. Nicole and Waverly both thought it was just as well. Neither could handle much more overtly sexual talk. Waverly's entire body was humming with energy and anxiety and sexual frustration, starting at her hand-affectionately held by Nicole—and coursing through her body before landing between her crossed legs.

Waverly watched Nicole as she engaged in casual conversation with Doc and Dolls, studying every feature and contour of her face.

Eventually, Gus sidled up to the table, setting down a round of five tequila shots before adding, "Y'all probably haven't noticed, but you're the last ones here. Consider this your last call and get the hell out of here so I can go home!" She tried to sound tough, but her smile betrayed her. They all looked around, noticing for the first time how quickly the place had cleared out. Doc started passing out the shots, but Nicole attempted to decline.

"No, no, I can't. I've already had too much to drink and will need to sleep a few hours in my truck before I drive home."

"What are you talking about, Haught? None of you four are driving anywhere tonight," said Dolls, sternly.

Nicole looked at him, questioning. "What?"

"I'll drive everyone home. I have hardly had two beers."

"Like hell you have!" Waverly challenged.

"No, really. I've been passing Wy all my shots, and I've been nursing this one beer the whole game."

Waverly looked over to Wynonna, look of judgment clear in her eyes.

"What? Not my fault." Wynonna shrugged.

"Well, Dolls, I really appreciate it, but it's really not necessary. I'm used to it. I love clear on the other side of town from the Earps and wouldn't have a way to get my truck tomorrow. I'll just sleep some of it off in…"

"Why don't you just come home with us?" Waverly cut in.

"Oh yes! A sleepover!" Wynonna added.

Nicole met Waverly's eyes, uncertain she heard what she thinks she heard.

"Ummm… are you sure?" Nicole's question was only directed to Waverly.

"I'm one hundred percent positive," Waverly said, seriously. "Come stay with me—with us," she quickly corrected. "I'll bring you back to your truck in the morning?"

Waverly's voice, for really the first time all night, seemed incredibly uncertain and her eyes waited for Nicole's response, open and vulnerable.

"Okay, then," Nicole said, simply.


	7. Chapter 7

As the group of five meandered out of the bar, Wynonna screamed "SHOT GUN!" at the top of her lungs, and darted for the front passenger seat. Doc, unfamiliar with such a method for calling the front seat, immediately reached for his pistol, believing that some revenant had a shotgun trained on them.

Of course, once Dolls assured Doc they were not under threat, the three girls couldn't stop laughing, and Doc remained confused for the whole ride.

In the front seat, Wynonna harassed Dolls about his over-cautious driving on the empty roads, but Nicole and Waverly were completely oblivious to all the commotion around them. Both tried to ignore the heat of the other's thigh pressed up against their own and their extreme proximity. Nicole stretched her arm over the back of Waverly's seat, seemingly to "make more room," though Waverly knew better.

Nicole was trying to steady her thoughts and clear her head, to no avail. It became clearer to her that she was much drunker than she originally thought, and she was beginning to really regret agreeing to go to the Earps'. Almost as if she could sense Nicole's uncertainty, Waverly leaned into Nicole's side, settling into the nook under her arm just a bit more. Looking down, Nicole could see the satisfied smile cross Waverly's face, and her green eyes glance up at Nicole. When Waverly caught Nicole's eye, realizing that she had already been looking at her, her smile grew impossibly wider.

"I'm really glad you're coming back with us," she whispered, twinkle in her eye sparkling.

Nicole paused for a beat, before smiling and honestly saying, "Me, too."

They were silent for the remainder of the ride, both simply breathing the other in, and feeling the heat off the other. When Dolls pulled up to a stop outside the homestead, Waverly reluctantly peeled herself from Nicole's side and shifted away as they unloaded from the SUV. Dolls stayed in the running car, resisting Wynonna's persistent pestering to come inside and hang out for a bit longer.

"I don't think so, Earp. Y'all have a good night, and get some sleep." He turned his attention to Waverly, "And you… please get her to work tomorrow. I won't even ask for it to be before noon."

Waverly laughed and nodded. "I'll do my best, Agent Dolls!" as she saluted him and turned towards the house. Wynonna had grabbed Doc and Nicole by the wrists and started dragging them up the steps while Waverly and Dolls were talking, so she skipped to catch up, instinctively finding herself at Nicole's side.

Wynonna jabbered on about something, but Waverly couldn't hear a word she was saying. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute. Nicole and Doc followed Wynonna into the kitchen, rapt in attention. Waverly stood in the doorway, arms crossed, shoulder pressed into the frame, openly staring at Nicole. She watched as Nicole laughed at something Doc said, and her smile grew, exposing her trademark dimples. The sound of her laugh filled the room, and filled Waverly. It vibrated down her spine and warmed her toes. She raked her eyes down Nicole's profile, taking in the tight curve to her ass, molded by the dark jeans over Nicole's curves as if they were specifically made for her.

" _Good grief she looks good…"_ Waverly contemplated. " _And she's staying here tonight…"_

An uncontrollable smile crept onto Waverly's face as she mulled over that last thought.

"No, no, really, Wynonna. I'm really good. I don't need any more."

Waverly was brought back into the conversation by Nicole's words. She looked up, and Wynonna was reaching towards Nicole, tumbler of—presumably—whiskey in hand.

"Oh come on, OCCIFER." Wynonna intentionally slurred. "You're not driving anywhere tonight. Live a little! Have another with me!"

"No, thank you, really Wynonna. I'm pretty tired as is. I'll probably stretch out on the couch here in a few minutes and try to catch some shut-eye."

Wynonna scoffed, but Waverly's stomach lurched at the sound of Nicole mentioning the couch. This was not what she had planned. Not at all. She stepped forward into the kitchen, placing a hand on Wynonna's shoulder.

"Lay off, Wynonna!" she said with a light laugh. "If the lady doesn't want another drink, don't pressure her!" Waverly glanced over to Nicole and winked. She felt a surge of warmth when Nicole blushed. "And, actually, I'm a lot more tired now that we're home, too. I think that car ride did me in."

Wynonna started to protest, but Waverly comically put her hand over her sister's mouth, silencing her to big surprised eyes.

"Don't start with me, Wy. Now… you and Doc look like you're still wide awake. We," she nodded to Nicole, "are both tired. Nicole—why don't you just come stay in my room so these two won't keep you awake?"

Silently, Nicole just nodded, slightly smiling.

"Okay, then." Waverly slowly uncovered Wynonna's mouth, who exaggeratedly exercised her jaw.

"Night, y'all," and Waverly turned on her heel and started walking down the hallway towards her room. Halfway there, she glanced over her shoulder to see Nicole still firmly rooted in place, so she stopped without turning around. "You coming?" Waverly asked, eyebrow cocked.

Nicole swallowed heavily, "Of course." She nodded at Wynonna and Doc, "Have a nice rest of your night, y'all. And Wynonna, thanks for letting me crash at your house tonight."

"Oh, don't thank me, Deputy. Waverly runs this place," she said with a soft smile. "Whatever she says, goes, and any friend of hers is a friend of mine." Wynonna lurched forward and hugged Nicole. "Night night!"

Nicole chuckled and turned to follow Waverly. "I'll have to keep that in mind, Wynonna." She laughed to herself as she headed down the hall, trying to clear the drunken fog that was again settling in her brain. _What was she doing?_

Waverly disappeared into a doorway at the end of the hall, and as Nicole approached it herself, she stopped for a moment, out of view, and took a long, deep breath. _"Just don't be an asshole, Nicole."_

Willing her feet to move, Nicole stepped forward and through the doorway, breath immediately catching. Waverly stood over by her dresser, looking in the mirror and carefully undoing her long, single braid that lay over her right shoulder. She looked equal parts focused and care-free, as if she'd done it a thousand times (which she probably had). Nicole stopped just a few feet inside the doorway, unsure of what to do or where to go.

When Waverly finished letting down her hair, she turned towards Nicole, who was still standing awkwardly about twenty feet away.

"Come here," Waverly said, softly, holding a hand out towards Nicole.

Nicole started to walk toward her, but Waverly abruptly stopped her.

"Wait!" Nicole froze, eyes darting up to meet Waverly's, uncertain.

"Shut the door," Waverly followed, gesturing behind her.

Nicole's stomach lurched again, completely out of her element and uncertain. She stumbled toward the door, pulling it closed with a deafening click.

When Nicole's eyes met Waverly's again, she saw so much there she had never really allowed herself to see before: anticipation, happiness, desire. Waverly extended her hand again, and somehow Nicole ended up in front of her, the two women barely a foot away from each other. Waverly's hand wrapped around Nicole's, pulling her forward and immediately closing the remaining space between them. They stood there a moment, eyes each exploring the other's. Neither of them dared to speak.

Waverly raised her free hand to Nicole's face, hovering for just long enough that it was noticeable before making contact on Nicole's cheek. Softly, Waverly's hand caressed Nicole's cheek, fingers curling behind Nicole's ear, finger tips pressing into her hair line. Her thumb ran along the length of Nicole's cheekbone and then down to the corner of her slightly parted mouth. Nicole hadn't blinked or taken a breath since her hand fell into Waverly's, and she was sure she had lost all ability to breathe the second the pad of Waverly's thumb touched her lip.

"Wa—Waver-ly," she said, hesitantly. She closed her eyes, knowing she wouldn't say what she needed to say while staring at the woman in front of her.

"We—we really, shouldn't do—we're both—I mean—I am pretty… and I don't want to…"

"Stop."

Nicole froze for a moment, distracted by the forcefulness of Waverly's command and her thumb, still stroking her cheek.

"But… I…"

"Stop."

Nicole stood silent.

Waverly dropped Nicole's hand and brought her other hand up, as well. She cupped Nicole's face, softly, tenderly.

"Nicole… I, I know what you're going to say. And you're not wrong. Nothing should happen between us tonight."

Nicole was absolutely frozen in place, again breathless.

"I need you to just, just let me let time stand still for a few moments. Because I asked you to wait for me. And you're noble and caring and kind and… and perfect," she exhaled a low breath, "… and so you waited. You waited patiently for me to figure out my shit. But…" she stopped mid-sentence, letting out a small gasp.

Nicole had finally regained control of her extremities and she tentatively placed her hands on Waverly's waist, unknowingly pulling her impossibly closer.

Waverly was thrown, just for a moment, losing her train of thought. Nicole smirked, feeling for the first time since she got into Dolls' car like she had a little bit of control over the situation. Waverly noticed the smirk and giggled, dipping her head before connecting with Nicole's eyes again.

"You were saying?" Nicole asked, still smiling.

Waverly's left hand slipped back through Nicole's hair and landed on the back of her neck while her right hand slid down the side of Nicole's cheek, slowly down her neck and resting on the crook between her neck and shoulder. Waverly's gaze had followed her hand down. Nicole's hands gripped boldly at Waverly's hips, waiting for her to continue.

"Nicole," she said with new confidence, "… you waited for me. But I don't think you realize how excruciating the waiting was—for me—too." She looked back up to catch the surprised look on Nicole's face.

"For you?"

Waverly smiled and nodded. "Yeah," she whispered.

"How so?" Nicole mirrored Waverly's whisper, giving Waverly a confused look.

Waverly's hands stirred again, slipping around from the back of Nicole's neck, both resting just below Nicole's collarbone, creeping underneath the lapels of Nicole's leather jacket and running up over her shoulders. Nicole took the hint, allowing the jacket to fall off her arms before reaching for Waverly again.

"God, Nicole… you don't get it, do you?"

Nicole was silent.

"Every time I've seen you, every time I think about you, I've wanted absolutely nothing more than to touch you. And…" Waverly hesitated, "I don't even mean _like that_ —though…" she let the thought fall aside, taking a shaky breath.

"You are _perfect_ and _beautiful_ , and I've just _needed_ to get my hands on you… just like this. To just feel your skin. And now… I finally have you here, in front of me, and I _need to touch you._ So… I know I've asked you for a lot and made this all about me, and I'm still doing that and I… I'm being selfish, butfor just a few moments… before this bubble bursts, just please, let me. And then we really can go to bed and sleep and tomorrow we can start those big conversations that we need to have. But just right now… let me let time stand still and _touch you_."

Nicole took in a shaky breath and a tear threatened to roll down her cheek, but Waverly didn't let it, reaching up on her tip toes and softly kissing it away. Waverly gave Nicole a questioning look, and Nicole let out a small nod.

Waverly took a deep breath and ran her hands down the sides of Nicole's torso, bunching up the bottom of her shirt. Their foreheads fell together and Nicole's hands covered Waverly's at the hem of her shirt. They swayed, ever so slightly, while both contemplated the weight of the moment.

Moving almost simultaneously, they peeled Nicole' shirt over her head, and Waverly's hands immediately reached for Nicole's abs. Her finger tips brushed up and down over her stomach, eventually dragging back up her sides and over the edges of Nicole's bra. Waverly placed two palms on Nicole's chest, above her bra, and let her fingers stretch out splay over her chest.

Waverly took her time, running trembling fingertips over every inch of Nicole's exposed skin. After several minutes of heavy silence, interrupted only by the slightest of breaths, she intertwined both hands into Nicole's hair at the back of her head, pulling their bodies flush. Her right hand slipped around, outlining the shell of Nicole's ear, down the curve of her jaw, painstakingly down her neck and then tracing the edges of Nicole's collarbone out to her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around under Nicole's, pulling her in close from her back. Waverly buried her face into the crook of Nicole's neck, collapsing into her body fully. She could feel Nicole's heart thudding, and it made her smile to feel the same frantic, hammering beat that she felt in her own chest.

Nicole held her tight, strong arms wrapped around her waist, breathing in the sweet smell of her shampoo.

"Let's go to bed," Nicole finally said, softly kissing the top of Waverly's head and daring to break the quiet tension.

She felt Waverly nod into her chest, and they moved toward Waverly's bed. Nicole sat down and unzipped her boots, setting them carefully by the bed, and climbed in. She opened her arms toward Waverly on the other side of the bed, making her giggle. Just as Waverly started to climb in next to her, she stopped, a wicked smile crossing her face.

"What?" Nicole asked, suspiciously.

Waverly reached down and pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside, never breaking Nicole's eye contact. Nicole's eyes went wide as Waverly climbed in smiling, curling into Nicole and sighing with complete contentment.


End file.
